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THE TEXTILE WORLD RECORD 
KINK BOOKS 



No« 5. 



Kinks for 
Boss Weavers 



Compiled from the 

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS DEPARTMENT 

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TEXTILE WORLD RECORD 



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THE TEXTILE WORLD RECORD 
KINK BOOKS 

No. 5. 

Kinks for 
Boss Weavers 



From the 

Questions and answers department 

of the 

TEXTILE WORLD RECORD 

Compiled and edited by 

CLARENCE HUTTON 



LORD & NAGLE COMPANY 

Publishers 
Boston, Mass., U. S. A. 

C 






\^r^ 



Copyright, 1910. 
LORD & NAGLE COMPANY 
Boston, Mass. 



10 

€CI.A268154 



-is^|3 



PREFACE 



In compiling this book the aim has been to 
give the unusual, out-of-the-way information on 
tRe problems of weaving overseers which results 
from long experience. 

The editors of the TEXTILE World Record 
are at all times face to face with the problem of 
securing practical information. For years its 
subscribers have been invited to make free use 
of its columns in asking questions relating to 
textile manufacturing and it occurred to us that 
if some of the most important and most inter- 
esting of the practical questions that have been 
answered were gathered together in a handy 
form for quick reference it would meet a wide- 
spread want. 

This book is the result. It contains informa- 
tion which has been supplied by manufacturers, 
superintendents and overseers from their pri- 
vate record books and their stores of knowledge 
gained by experience. Many questions are answer- 
ed and much information given, but subscribers 
should remember that if there is any information 
they desire which is not given in this volume, 
it is their privilege to ask the Questions and 
Answers Department of the Textile World 



PREFACE 

Record and every effort will be made to publish 
the information they want, provided the ques- 
tion is one of general interest to the trade. 

No effort has been made to group the ques- 
tions and answers relating to the different 
branches, such as cotton, woolen and worsted, 
in any part of the book. The index has been 
carefully prepared, however, and its use should 
enable anyone to find the information he seeks 
in the shortest possible time. 

Grateful acknowledgement is due to the men 
who have supplied the information, and if Kinks 
for Boss Weavers should benefit any of the large 
number of men for whom it is intended, both 
they and the publishers will feel that its mission 
has been accomplished. 

TEXTILE WORLD RECORD, 

Lord & Nagle Company, 

Publishers. 



KINKS FOR 
BOSS WEAVERS 



The Management of a Weave Room 

Will you give me some advice regarding the 
management of a weave room? I have just suc- 
ceeded in getting a position as overseer and a 
few hints would be helpful. Young Overser (1803). 

"The first hour of the morning is the rudd r 
of the day." This is especially true in the weave 
room and one of the overseer's most important 
duties is to see that the weave room help, second 
hands, loom fixers, weavers and other operatives 
are on hand at the time for starting work. Getting 
in late is a serious fault of the help in many 
mills and few realize what a great loss it causes 
to the company. The loss of a few minutes in 
the morning and at noon time means a loss of 
many yards in the daily production. The over- 
seer should arrive before the time of starting 
and stand near the door of his room so he can see 
the help as they come in and be seen by them. 
He will not find it necessary to say a word to 
them for when they see him on the lookout they 
will make it a point to avoid being late. It is 
a bad plan to depend on the second hands to 
look after this important matter. The second 



8 KINKS FOR ]'>oss we:avsrs 

hands should see that the looms are started on 
time and also report any weavers that are out. 

The overseer should also keep a watch for looms 
waiting for weavers and use every effort to 
get them started as soon as possible. I do not 
believe in the so-called doubling up to keep 
the looms running. The overseer should find 
out the cause of each weaver's absence and have 
a list of spare weavers that he can call on in such 
an emergency. It is a very good plan for an 
overseer to' have the addresses of all the opera- 
tives under his supervision. He should keep 
posted regarding the number of warps running 
out and the number that are expected to come 
into the room, arranging the work for the fixers 
so that it will be distributed throughout the 
day and not come all in a heap. While looking 
after these matters he can see whether the warps 
are in proper condition, and if not, apply the 
remedy at once. The spinner is oTten blamed 
for bad warps when the spooling and dressing 
room is responsible. After the yarn leaves the 
spinner it can be pulled to pieces in spooling and 
warping and ruined in the sizing. It takes but 
a few bad warps to demoralize the best of weave 
rooms. 

The overseer should keep close track of the re- 
ports from his deparment so that he may know 
just how the different styles are distributed 
among the looms. The reports should be sent 
to the office as early as possible so that the su- 
perintendent can keep in close touch with the 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 9 

work of the mill and make his report to his su- 
periors. When making these reports of produc- 
tion any bad work or shortage of warps or fill- 
ing should be noted in order that all in author- 
ity may know of anything wrong and apply the 
remedy if possible. The overseer of weaving 
should be able to detect bad work and quickly 
determine its cause. To do this he must under- 
stand the processes not only in his own depart- 
ment, but also the preceding and subsequent 
processes of manufacture. The production of 
the weave room depends in great measure on 
the good work done in the preceding processes 
For this reason the utmost care should be given 
to the manufacture of the yarn and its prepara- 
tion for the loom. 

He should pay special attention to the man- 
agement of the loom fixers. If they do good 
work he should tell them so, as this goes a long 
way toward stimulating them. Under no cir- 
cumstances should he allow the fixers to be rude 
and discourteous to the weavers. Every fixer 
should be made to understand that he must re- 
spond promptly and pleasantly when the weaver 
calls him. The trouble may be trifling and 
caused by the weaver herself, but regardless of 
this it is the fixer's duty to go to the loom, in- 
vestigate for himself and apply the remedy. 

Gamaliel Gaunt 



10 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 

Calculating the Weig-ht of Filling^ 

If a fabric is woven with three kinds of filling 
of different counts, how is the weight of each 
filling per yard or cut calculated? 

Rock Island (707). 

The number of yards of each size of yarn is 
first found. Then the weight is calculated from 
the length and yarn count. The operation is 
best explained by an example: 

Ex. A cloth is woven 65 inches wide with 24 
picks per inch. The filling pattern consists of 
48 picks divided as follows: 6 picks 1/2OS cotton, 
8 picks 3 run woolen, 10 picks 2/36S worsted. 
Find weight of each kind of yarn per yard. 

65 (inches) X 48 (picks) = 3,120 yards filling. 
Allow 5 per cent, for take-up as the filling is 
usually woven slacker than when reeled: 

3,120 (yards) - .95 (100% —5%) = 3,284 
yards of yarn per yard. The 3,284 yards is then 
divided in the proportion in which the three 
kinds of yarns are found in the filling pattern, as 
follows: 

6 picks 1/20S cotton = 821 yards. 

8 picks 3 run woolen = 1,095 yards. 

10 picks 2/36S worsted = 1,368 yards. 



3,284 yards. 

Next step reduce the cotton and worsted counts 
to runs and calculate weight of each kind of yarn; 



KINKS FOR BOSS WHAVI:RS II 

I /20s cotton 10.5 Runs. 
2/36S worsted = 6.3 Runs. 

821 (yards) -^ 1050 (yds. per oz.) = .78 ounces. 
1095 (yards) ~ 300 (yds. per oz.) = 3.65 ounces. 
1368 (yards) -i- 630 (yds. per oz.) = 2.17 ounces. 

6.60 ounces 

The reduction of cotton and worsted counts 
to runs or yards per ounce is made as follows: 

*Cotton No. X .5 1/4 = Runs. 
Worsted No. X .3 1/2 == Runs. 



Standard Length and Width of Cloth for 
Testing 

Will you please advise me what standard, if 
any, of length and width of cloth is used in 
testing machines for determining the strength 
and elasticity of the fabric? Western (mo). 

There is no official standard in the United 
States for the size and standard of cloth to be 
tested for strength and elasticity. The size mostly 
used by the United States Government and 
others is a sample long enough to fit in the 
jaws of a testing machine so that the jaws will 
be one inch apart when ready for the breaking 
load. The width of the sample should be one 
inch. The jaws of the machine are in many 
cases also one inch wide. In the testing of khaki 
cloth by the other departments of the United 
States Government the sample tests are cut 



12 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 

four inches long and the full width of the cloth 
and the tests made in one-inch grips or jaws placed 
one inch apart and in the center of the sample. 
This is called "testing in the cloth". 

A large mill that makes cotton fabrics uses 
a piece two inches wide and long enough to fit 
in the jaws of the machine so that the distance 
between the grips or jaws will be three inches 
before the strain is applied. The sample cloth 
is unraveled on each side equally to reduce the 
perfect cloth as nearly to one inch in width as 
the picks or ends will allow. The jaws in this 
case are two inches wide. 

In England the Manchester Testing House 
cuts a sample of cloth about twelve by seven 
inches and then tearing out the side threads 
sufficiently to reduce the sample to a width 
of six and five-eighths inches, and when placed 
in the jaws of the machine they will be six inches 
apart. This size is the standard for the Govern- 
ment of Great Britain. 

The German Government uses a sample of cloth 
three inches wide and long enough so that the jaws 
will be five inches apart. 

It is unfortunate that the early testing machines 
in this country adopted one-inch jaws as wider 
jaws would give more equal results. 

Planet. 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS I3 

Wire Heddles 

I would ,like information on the following 
points regarding German tinned steel wire hed- 
dles for fancy weaving. 

1. What is about the average life of heddles 
made of No. 28 wire and used on No. 30 yarn? 

2. Is it considered good practice to use heddles 
until they break or wear out? 

3. If heddles should be discarded before they 
wear through or break, how am I to tell at what 
point it is advisable to throw them out and put 
in new ones? 

We have been using wire heddles for about 
ten years, and so far as I know the entire equip- 
ment of heddles has never been changed, al- 
though new ones have been bought from time 
to time to replace those lost or broken. Our 
work where we use the heddles is not running 
as well as it should, judging by results we get 
from the same yarn running with steel harness. 
It occurred to us that the trouble might arise 
from worn heddles. We have accordingly ex- 
amined a large number of them under a mag- 
nifying glass and find that the solder is worn 
out from the bottom and top of the eyes, but 
the wire shows no sign of wear or cutting. 

Heddle (1040). 

It is very difficult to determine the life of 
heddles, as a great deal depends on the yarn 
used. If a coarse yarn or a yarn that has not 
been properly sized is used, the heddles will not 
last long, about one year at the most. If the 
yarn is smooth the heddles should last about 
two years. Of course a great deal depends 
on the weave of goods that the mill makes. 
It is not a good practice to use heddles until 



14 KINKS FOR BOSS WI:AVE:RS 

they break or wear out. The heddles will not 
wear out at the eye, but will wear at the harness 
rod. They get bent over and will catch the 
yarn, causing pick-outs and poor cloth. When 
the solder is worn off it is time to discard the 
heddles. In the process of weaving the yarn 
goes from top to bottom of the eye in every move- 
ment of the harness and it is the top and bottom 
of the eye that does all the work. If the yarn 
is gritty or lumpy it takes but a very short time 
before nicks will be worn at the top and bottom, 
in which the yarn will catch. 

New heddles should never be put on the same 
frame with the old ones or with heddles that are 
partly worn. When one of the old heddles breaks at 
the top, bottom or in the eye, the weaver takes 
the reed hook or scissors and will twist and screw 
until the broken heddle comes out, often bend- 
ing the new heddles out of shape. The heddles 
that are taken off can be looked over and the 
best of them used to fix up other frames that 
are in fair condition. 

Heddles are a very important factor in the 
weave room and should be well taken care of. 
When the drawing-in girl starts a new warp she 
should look the harness over, putting them on 
the frame one at a time. If any of the heddles 
are tied up with twine or yarn they should be 
broken off and a small piece of waste wet with 
oil rubbed over the top and bottom rods. This 
will make the heddles move easier and keep them 
from rusting. The heddle rods in the frame 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 1 5 

are in most cases held up by two small hooks, 
sometimes by only one in the center. If they 
are screwed up too high they will in time cause 
the heddle to break at the top or bottom. All 
heddles should move freely on the rods, so in 
building a new set of harness these hooks should 
be attended to first. Bad spooling, slashing, 
web drawing and fixing, along with poor fixing, 
are the causes of two-thirds of the bad cloth 
that comes from the weave room, and the over- 
seer should be looking out for this all the time. 
Another thing that may help him is that the 
reeds might not be deep enough for the rise and 
fall of his harness, thus causing the yarn to bind 
at the top and bottom of the reed. The fixers 
may have the reeds set more on one side than 
on the other so that the yarn will not pull straight 
from harness to fell of cloth. N. B. Y. 

The so-called German heddle being a substi- 
tute for the old time cotton and worsted harness 
is naturally a little harsher on the yarn, but is 
the best of the metal heddles used in weaving, 
with possibly one exception. Two pieces of 
wire are used to form the eye. There is naturally 
a tendency for the yarn to wear the solder that 
is used to make a smooth eye and heddle, no 
matter how well the work may be done. Hard 
yarn with very little softening will shorten the 
life of a heddle, and with yarn of this kind a 
heddle will not last longer than a few weeks. 
On the other hand, if a soft yarn is used the 
heddles will last for years. The manner of 



1 6 KINKS FOR BOSS WliAVERS 

fixing and setting the harness has a great deal 
to do with lengthening the life of a heddle. 
If the harness is too tight or too loose on the 
bar it will very often destroy the eye. The 
threads double up at the eye and this strain 
takes the life out of the heddles. Uneven set- 
ting of the harness frames will destroy the eye 
of the heddle sooner than anything else, and 
this in addition to having too large a shed is one 
of the most difficult features to be met with in 
the use of wire heddles. 

It is not good practice to use heddles until 
they wear or break, as the drawing-in of warps 
is an item of cost in a mill, and it often happens 
through carelessness, oversight or accident, 
that warps are drawn in, taken to the weave 
room, started up, and then have to be cut out 
again, because of defective heddles. It is not 
always easy to detect a defective heddle and 
they sometimes can be found only by a small 
piece of the fiber clinging to the eye. It is a 
good plan to have a boy or girl examine all the 
harness before they are placed in the drawing-in 
frame, replacing all that are unfit for further 
use. A few good heddles may be discarded, 
but this is cheaper than having the smash piecer 
devoting several hours to replacing the heddles. 
Sometimes broken heddles will escape detection 
until they are in the loom, but if examined prop- 
erly this seldom happens. Practical. 



KINKS ^OR BOSS WE:avERS 1/ 

Poor Light in Weave Room 

In a weave room should there be any falling 
off in production in the darker parts of the room? 

Hampton (1039). 

In nearly every weave room there are light 
and dark places, but as far as the production 
goes, the same amount should be obtained from 
one loom as from another. We know that alt 
weavers are looking for the best looms and the 
b^t light. If "Hampton" will watch the weavers 
in the dark places he no doubt will find that 
they keep their looms running just as well as in 
any other part of the weave room, although the 
quality of work may not be so good and it is 
done with greater strain on the weaver. 

It might be well to have the lights arranged 
so that the dark part of the room can be lighted 
without having to light the rest of the room. 
Another way is by getting the weavers in this 
part of the room to run six looms instead of eight 
or ten. In every mill there are weavers who 
do not care to have so much work and are ready 
to take less looms, but still want to get off a good 
production. There is no excuse for not getting 
as much from one loom as from another. It is 
advisable to put the best running work on the 
dark looms. Overseer. 



1 8 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 

The Loom Brake 

I have noticed that the looms in some woolen 
and worsted mills are equipped with the brake, 
while in others the brake evidently has been taken 
off. Can you tell me why some mills continue to 
have their looms equipped with these different 
devices? Connelly (1540). 

The benefits derived by the use of this very 
important attachment to the loom are much 
greater than they are often considered to be. 
Like all other improvements the brake has had 
to fight' its way against prejudice and ignorance. 
It met with many failures only to be proven 
a success and, like the stop motion, it will eventu- 
ally triumph. In some mills the brake attach- 
ments have been placed on one or more looms, 
these looms very often being unsuitable on ac- 
count of oily friction, too fine a tooth on the 
counter picker and crank shaft. Under these 
conditions the results have not been satisfac- 
tory and the brake has had to bear the blame 
when the real trouble was not with the brake. 
While some mills are discarding the brake be- 
cause they could not get good results, other mills 
are giving repeat orders for them. 

Given a fair trial the brake will do all that 
it is claimed to do, but to have success it is es- 
sential that conditions should be right. There 
should be a coarse tooth drive on the loom, good 
friction and a first class center filling stop mo- 
tion. Under these conditions the brake will 
stop the loom on the pick that breaks or runs 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS I9 

out and will stop it in such a position that there 
will be no loss of time or danger of making im- 
perfect cloth or causing a mark. Consider for 
a moment what this means. I know that there 
is an average of one minute between the time 
of starting a loom with a brake attachment and 
one without. One minute is too small to be 
worthy of consideration were it not that the 
filling is likely to break a good many times dur- 
ing the day, and when the weaver is running 
two looms the filling is very apt to run out quite 
a number of times in the course of a day. 
The frequent loss of one minute means a loss 
of four or five yards of cloth per day on 40-pick 
work, and more or less in proportion to the num- 
ber of picks. 

Then the effect of the brake on the waste question 
is worthy of consideration. As an illustration let us 
compare the loom without a brake and the loom 
with a brake attachment. On the former every 
time the filling breaks or runs out the weaver must 
go through the following movements: i. Carry 
shuttle across from the box it is in to the box 
it came from; 2, uncouple head motion; 3, pull 
out reverse knob; 4, turn head gear; 5, put in 
shuttle; 6 and 7, place head gear and reverse gear in 
position; 8, let out take-up gear. Then after 
using all possible caution there is danger of mak- 
ing imperfect cloth or causing a smash. And 
while all these movements are being made the 
weaver will probably have forgotten to keep an 
eye on the other loom, which may be making 
poor cloth and causing more waste. 



20 KINKS I^OR BOSS WEAVERS 

If the filling breaks or runs out on a loom 
that is equipped with a brake, all that is nec- 
essary is to release the brake, pull back the lay, 
put -in the shuttle and the loom is all right again. 
The brake also affects the waste question in 
another way, as on the no-bratke loom the wea- 
ver is more likely to change the filling before 
it is quite ready, wasting ten or more picks of 
filling than on a brake loom. 

Now let us note how much more work can 
be accomplished by the weaver when he has the 
brake to help him, how much easier the work 
is done and how much more comfort there is 
in weaving with two looms. These are items 
worthy of consideration. The better the con 
ditions are for the weavers the more likely the 
mills are to get good weavers and the mills that 
get the best weavers stand in good position to 
get the best results all round. 

Another item of importance especially at this 
time when many mills are obliged to take in 
learners (and any one who knows anything about 
a weave room knows what a trouble they are for 
at least six months) is that it requires less ex- 
perience to find the pick and start up the loom with 
the brake. The cost of the brake is so small as 
not to be worth consideration and the same ap- 
plies to keeping it in repair. 

It is reasonable to suppose that every ad- 
dition to the loom means more parts to be kept 
in order and so more work for the fixer, yet a 
fixer can take care of as many looms with a brake 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 21 

attachment as without. If a loom without a 
brake requires fixing, the belt must be taken 
off nearly every time, but with the brake loom 
this is not necessary. Here is a saving in belt- 
ing, for every time the belt is taken off it means 
a shortening of its life. The loom can be made 
more secure by putting on the brake. Neither 
is the brake loom so dangerous to the fixer as 
the no-brake loom. 

•Another point to be gained by the use of the 
brake loom may be illustrated as follows: Sup- 
pose we are weaving a two up and one down 
weave, how much quicker a weaver could detect 
a broken thread, a wrong draw or any other im- 
perfection in the warp threads. This style of 
cloth can be woven one up and two down, or 
filling flush, without danger of making miss- 
picks, but to weave this cloth on the no-brake 
loom we should lose more by getting misspicks 
than would be gained otherwise. There are 
various styles of cloth that it is better to weave 
face down, but this can be done to much bet- 
ter advantage on a loom with a brake than 
on one without, as on the latter the misspicks 
are difficult to see. Marathon. 



Constant for Train of Loom Gears 

Kindly give me the constant from the follow- 
ing particulars: Loom ratchet wheel, 92 teeth; 
pinion wheel, 16 teeth; sand roller, 14 inches; 
sand roller gear, 94 teeth; bottom gears 37-18 



2.-3 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 

(the 1 8 gear is never changed); cloth woven 80 
picks per inch. 

I can get only 4 picks for every tooth changed 
in pillion wheel; i. e., 80 picks for 16 pinion; 
76 picks for 17 pinion. I want 74 picks but 
cannot get it. We are using Colvin looms. 

Bristol (797). 

The constant from this train of gears would be: 

(92 X 94) ^ (16 X 18 X 14) = 2.144 Constant. 

Picks -^ Constant = Gear. 80 -^ 2.144 = 37-3 
Gear, 

I see that "Bristol" makes no reference to the 
take-up in the cloth from reed to roller and the 
least we have ever allowed has been i 3/4 per 
cent. I find the difference between the quo- 
tient from the train of gears and the number 
of picks is between 1/2 and 3/4 per cent, for 
take-up. Assuming that this must be the 
amount of take-up on the loom, I find that by 
changing the tin roller gear to 87, the constant 
will be practically 2, so that the change gear 
would then be 37 for 74 picks. We have changed 
such gears when placed in the same position 
as "Bristol" mentions; in fact I think that either 
of the two larger gears have been changed at 
some time in the past. Will Nelson. 



Textile Analysis 

Will you state the best method of determining 
from a small sample the weight per yard and 
the size of the yarn of which it is composed? I 
have frequent occasion to analyze competing 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVi:RS 23 

fabrics and need a simple method adapted for 
the mill, by which I can determine quickly and 
accurately the construction of a textile fabric. 
Please illustrate your method by a fabric weigh- 
ing 3-75 grains per square inch, having 108 ends 
of warp and 96 picks of filling per inch. 

Manufacturer (564). 

A sample with an area of 4.32 square inches 
(1/300 square yard) is cut by a die, which for 
that purpose may be 1.8 in. by 2.4 in. or 1.2 in. 
by 3.6 in. The weight of such a sample at the 
inch rate given by Manufacturer is 16.2 grains. 
This grain weight indicates the weight in ounces 
per yard 52 1/2 inches wide, that is, 16.2 ounces. 
The weight for any other width is calculated 
by simple proportion. Thus for 56 inches: 

(16.2 X 56) -^ 52.5 = 17.3 ounces per yard 
56 in. wide. 

The size of the yarn by the cotton system 
(840 yards per pound) is calculated by dividing 
the threads per inch by the weight of the sample 
(4.32 sq. in.) in grains. The 108 ends of warp 
and 96 picks of filling combined make 204 threads 
per inch both ways. 

Then : 

204 (threads) -^ 16.2 (grains) = 12.6, average 
cotton No. 

If the sizes of warp and filling are to be found 
separately the sample is raveled and each kind 
of yarn weighed'. Assuming the warp to weigh 
8.7 grains, the filling 7.5 grains the sizes are found 
as follows? 



-•24 KlNKb FOR BOSS WEAVERS 

io8 (threads) -f- 8.7 (grains) = 12,4, cot- 
ton No., warp. 
96 (threads) -h- 7.5 (grains) =12.8, cot- 
ton No., filling. 
If the size by the worsted system is wanted, 
multiply the cotton size by i 1/2; if by the cut 
or linen system, by 2.8; if by the run system, 
by .525. Thus for the average size: 

12.6 X I 1/2 == 18.9, average worsted No. 
12.6 X 2.8 = 35.3, average linen No. 
12.6 X .525 = 6 5/8, average runs. 

If the sample contains yarns of different sizes 
in either warp or filling, the count of each is 
found by counting and weighing each kind and 
calculating the size separately. Assume for 
example that every third thread of warp is of 
a different size from the rest, and that this yarn 
which we will call A, weighs 3.2 grains. Then: 
36 (threads per inch) -r- 3.2 (grains) = 11.2, 
cotton No., A warp. 
In the case of special sizes like the preceed- 
ing, the count can also be found as follows: 
Assuming for example, there are 86 special warp 
threads in the width of 2.4 inches, each 1.8 inches 
long, the total length of the yarn will be 155 
inches. Then: 
155 (inches) -^ 3.2 (grains) = 48.4 inches per 

grain. 
48.4 (in. per grain) -=- 4.32 (inch-grain basis 
of cotton count) = 11.2, cotton. No., A 
warp. 



KINKS FOR r.OSS WEAVERS 25 

This is a system of analyzing textile fabrics 
that the editor of the Textile World Record 
has tested for many years in mill work. It is 
simple and accurate, enabling the busy designer 
or manufacturer to determine * the construction 
of most fabrics in 15 minutes to half an hour. 
The selection of an area of 4.32 square inches 
is due to the fact that the cotton No. indicates 
the number of 4.32-inch lengths per grain. 
The count as calculated indicates the size of 
the yarn as it lies in the cloth. To determine 
the spun count, allowance must be made for 
take-up, shrinkage in length and loss in weight 
between loom and case. If the goods are 
weighted the sample should be scoured and 
dried before the analysis. 



Removing Rust from Reeds 

We would like to get some preparation that 
will remove rust from fine reeds, say 90 to 100 
dents per inch. Marshall (1042) . 

I have frequently had occasion to remove 
rust from various iron and steel articles and 
although I have never tried it on reeds, yet 
the good results obtained in other cases 
leads me to believe that it is worth whije test- 
ing it in the cleaning of reeds. Pieces of or- 
dinary zinc are attached to the article to be treat- 
ed, which is then put in water to which a little 
sulphuric acid has been added. It should be 



26 KINKS FOR BOSS WKAVKRS 

left there until the rust has entirely disappeared, 
the time depending on how deeply it is rusted. 
If there is much rust a little more sulphuric acid 
should be added occasionally. The essential 
part of this process is that the zinc must be in 
good electrical contact with the steel or iron 
that is to be cleaned. A good way to manage 
this is to twist an iron wire tightly around 
the piece and connect this with the zinc. A 
battery zinc is the best to use as it has a bind- 
ing post. 

Besides the simplicity of this process it has 
the advantage of not having the iron or steel 
attacked in the least as long as the zinc is in good 
electrical contact with it. Delicate pieces of 
mechanism which have become badly rusted, 
can be cleaned by wrapping a galvanized wire 
around them instead of the zinc, in which case 
the acid should not be too strong. When the 
rust has all disappeared the articles will 
appear a dark green or blackish color. They 
should then be thoroughly washed and oiled 
and it is well to warm them slightly when dry 
so that the oil may sink into the surface. Since 
your question was received I have tried this 
process on a small piece of reed, which is sent 
to you under separate cover. It was badly rusted 
and you will notice that now it is very clean. 

James Chittick. 

Care should be taken that the reeds do not 
get rusted. If the wire is deeply rusted re- 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 2/ 

place the reed with a new one; if only slightly 
damaged, put on a little oil and take a tapered 
piece of hard wood and work upon the reed in 
the direction of the wire. Also take a piece 
of pumice stone and use it in the same way. 
Then finish by using fine emery cloth and a 
good stiff brush. Hargraves. 



Weave Room Waste. 

I would like some consideration of waste 
made in a weave room, giving the causes, the 
estimated expense from it and methods of pre- 
vention. Mitchell (1800) . 

The question of waste is one of vital import- 
ance to the manufacturer, and worthy of his 
careful consideration and constant attention. 

There is a peculiar interest attached to this 
question in connection with the work in the 
weaving department, because the amount of 
waste made in weaving is more largely influ- 
enced by the discipline of the help employed, 
than is the case in the other departments of 
the mill; and also because the value of the 
stock is greater in this department than in 
either the carding or spinning, the other de- 
partments that contribute most largely to waste 
production. In this connection we may also 
say that the expense of rendering the weave 
room waste available for future use is greater. 
Not only does the labor cost in each depart- 



2S KINKS :FOR BOSS WI:AVE:RS 

ment add a corresponding value to the stock 
as it goes forward, and is consequently of greater 
value here than in the earlier processes, but 
it represents the best part of the stock. In 
the carding, the waste produced is largely com- 
posed of the poorer portions of the stock, being 
heavily loaded with dead fibres and dirt which 
is of little or no value, and the elimination of 
which is of real value to that remaining. 

The yarn from which the weave room waste 
is made is therefore better in quality than in 
its original mixture, and has been enhanced 
in value by the expense in labor to produce it, 
and all that can go into the cloth will be still 
further enhanced in value, while that which is 
wasted at once depreciates, often to the amount 
of more than 50 per cent. 

When we come to look at it in this light, we 
wonder that the subject is sometimes given 
so little attention in the mills. The fact is, 
the responsibility is too often misplaced, and 
the weaver is blamed, when the fault is in the 
laxity of the management. To be sure, the 
weaver makes the waste, and whatever portion 
of it is unnecessary must be largely due to his 
methods; but he is not responsible for his methods 
being allowed. What seems to be his careless- 
ness may be due to the need of better discipline 
or system to avoid the trouble. 

It is a question whether the most intelligent 
weaver ever stops to think that the yarn which 
he so thoughtlessly pulls from the bobbin to 



KINKS FOR BOSS WE:avERS 29 

throw into the waste box, is thereby reduced 
50 per cent, in value. He is usually paid for 
his labor by the yard, and there is always a tend- 
ency to overlook other interests, and to sacri- 
fice them to his own advantage, especially if 
he is not restricted by proper discipline. 

The habit of changing shuttles before the 
bobbin is empty, and of changing two or more 
to save the trouble of stopping the loom again 
wl»en only one of them is sufficiently reduced 
or "run out", proves to the interest of the weaver 
so far as production is concerned, as well as in 
relieving him somewhat from the close atten- 
tion required to watch each bobbin, and see that 
the filling "runs out" before changing. It is 
sure, however, to produce unnecessary waste 
and corresponding loss to the mill. 

How this habit can best be checked is a 
question that presents itself to the overseer 
of the weave room. 

Some mills have adopted the method of 
limiting the weaver to a specified amount of 
waste per day or week imposing fines for any 
in excess of the amount. This method has 
never proven successful, as it creates a bad 
feeling among the help and offers a tempta- 
tion on their part to "do away" with evidences 
of their carelessness; and the waste floating 
down the stream has evidenced the desire of 
some to try to appear within the limit at an 
additional expense to the manufacturer. 

Then again, this method is likely to prove 



30 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 

unjust, as the really conscientious weaver with 
"bad work" might have to suffer the penalty 
in spite of his best efforts, while the dishonest 
and unworthy one would find a way to evade 
the consequences of his carelessness. 

It is quite impossible to say what amount 
of waste per loom would be permissible, as it 
depends largely upon the class of work and 
the quality of the stock used. As a rule the 
lower the grade of work the greater the per- 
centage of waste. I have before me the report 
of results showing the average in two first- 
class mills on entirely different work, that 
shows something of this variation. 

One mill is running on a low grade of fancy 
goods with perhaps an average of 15 per cent. 
of wool and the remainder shoddy, with yarns 
ranging from i 1/4 to 3 runs, while the other 
uses all wool, chiefly on white work, with 
yarns ranging from 3 to 6 runs, — an average 
of about 5 runs. 

In the former mill the amount of filling 
waste per loom is 5.62 lbs. per week, while in 
the latter it amounts to only 1.52 lbs. per week. 

The mill referred to as making 5.62 lbs. per 
loom is running 52 looms, and by figuring the 
amount of this kind of waste for one year, 
upon the above basis, we find it amounts to 
15,196 lbs. which at an estimated value as low 
as 26 cents per pound for the stock made into 
yarn, amounts to $3,950.96. The deprecia- 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 3 1 

tion of at least one half, by its conversion into 
waste, amounts then to $1,975.48. 

Now if this is the result of fairly good man- 
agement, as it seems to be, it may readily be 
seen what a source of leakage would follow an 
excess of waste in a medium or large sized mill; 
it is not unreasonable to suppose that the waste 
question has often had quite an influence on the 
condition of mills that have had "hard sledding." 

The mill on the all-wool work is making a 
very creditable showing in this matter, and the 
man in charge at the mill on the low stock says 
he could not reduce the average except at the 
risk of a loss in production or the danger of the 
weaver's "doing away" with the waste as a result 
of tOD much hounding on the subject. 

Even upon the same class of work, there are 
often conditions to cause a variation from the 
different looms, and while it may not be policy 
to set a limit for the weavers, it is certainly worth 
while, in striving to correct abuse, to keep a re- 
cord of the result from each loom in order to 
draw fair and intelligent conclusions regarding 
the work of the individual weaver. Where it 
seems that the amount of waste is excessive, it 
will be best to watch the weaver's methods to 
ascertain whether he is at fault, and if he is found 
to be so, it can best be remedied by correcting 
him at the loom, rather than to criticise blindly 
the result of his week's work. In the latter case 
he would certainly offer an excuse, while he 



32 KINKS i^OR BOSS WE:AVE:RS 

could not dispute the evidence when presented 
before his eyes. 

The overseer who knows from week to week 
the amount of waste made by the individual 
weaver, as well as the average, will be able to esti- 
mate very nearly what the result of honest en- 
deavor should be, and also readily determine 
where to look for the abuses. When corrected 
right at the loom, there will be little chance to 
evade the responsibility, or to shoulder it on to 
a neighbor. When each weaver understands 
that the overseer is observant of his methods, 
as well as the weekly results, there will be a con- 
stant tendency to seek approval by honest rather 
than unfair methods. By a constant feeling that 
justice will be done, there will be a growing tend- 
ency toward better methods and desirable results. 

In justice to the weaver, however, it may be 
said that oftimes he is not wholly responsible 
for excessive waste. The condition of the yarn 
when it comes from the spinning room is often 
responsible for much of the waste that is made in 
the weave room. Imperfect yarn, bad building 
of the bobbin and soft bobbins, caused either by 
inferior stock, imperfect mixture or neglect in the 
carding or spinning room, often lead to the accum- 
ulation of weave room waste, despite the best ef- 
forts of the weavers. All these matters should be 
taken into account, and corrected at the right 
place. 

In this connection it may be said that the 
weavers should be taught to lay aside such bobbins 



KINKS FOR BOSS wsav:^rs 33 

as are likely to cause trouble, not only that the 
overseer may know the true condition of the work 
but that they may be rewound if expedient, and 
thus avoid the necessity of consigning them to 
the waste. When the help are taught the true 
importance of this question, and feel they are 
individually under the watchfulness of the over- 
seer, and that care in the matter is as important 
as production, it will be easy to continue the dis- 
cipline. Elmo. 



Selvages of Carbonized Piece Goods 

I am informed that the selvages of piece goods 
are often protected from the carbonizing pro- 
cess so that the fancy effects in the selvage are 
retained in the finished goods. How is this 
done? Does it require any special machine? 

Stimmen (345). 

In order to protect the selvages of carbonized 
goods from the effects of the process they are sat- 
urated with an alkali solution by means of a brush 
or sponge after the pieces have been soaked in the 
acid and extracted. The alkali solution should 
be of sufficient strength to neutralize the acid 
in the selvage. The work must be very carefully 
done in order to secure uniform results and in or- 
der to prevent the alkali from soaking into the 
edge of the piece. 

Goods are treated in this manner to but a very 
slight extent in this country but we understand 
that in Europe the method is used to a greater ex- 
tent. 



34 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 

Estimating Size of Yarn 

How is the spun size of the yarn calculated 
from the finished size? Can the take-up in 
length be determined by pulling out a thread 
for a certain distance in the cloth, then stretch- 
ing it out and noting the difference between the 
woven and finished lengths? Is this plan feasible 
for worsted goods? Werdau (648). 

The spun size is estimated from the finished 
size by making allowance for such changes in 
length and weight as may have taken place from 
the time the yarn was spun until the cloth was 
finished. These changes vary in number and de- 
gree in different fabrics, and for determining them 
one must rely on judgment and experience. 

Pulling a thread from a fabric, stretching it and 
noting the difference should never be adopted in 
the case of woolen and worsted goods, as it is im- 
possible to stretch a fulled thread to its spun 
length. Practically all worsted yarn felts more 
or less during the finishing process. 



Efficiency of Looms. 

How is the percentage of production calculated 
for a weave room? (High Speed 418.) 

Owing to the unavoidable loss of time caused 
by stopping the loom to mend broken threads, 
change shuttles and warps, etc., the actual pro- 
duction of a loom is always less than it would have 
been if the looms ran without interruption. If 



KINKS FOR BOSS WKAVI^RS 35 

the efficiency of a weave room is 70 per cent, it 
follows that the looms have been idle or not en- 
gaged in cloth production for 30 per cent, of the 
time. This percentage is calculated by dividing 
the number of picks in the cloth actually woven 
by the number of picks the looms would make if 
running constantly. 

Example: Fifty looms run 90 picks per minute 
for 58 hours producing 6,700 yards of cloth hav- 
ing 52 picks per inch. 

50 (looms) X 90 (picks per minute) X 3,480 
(minute per week) equal 15,660,000, picks per 
week (theoretically) . 

6,700 (yards) X 36 (inches per yard) X 52 
(picks per inch)equal 12,542,400, picks per week 
(actually) . 

12,542,400 ^ 15,660,000 = 80 i/io per cent. 

This calculation can be simplified by using a 
constant number in place of the four constant fac- 
tors, number of looms, picks per minute, minutes 
per week, and inches per yard. In the above cal- 
culation the product of the first three is divided 
by the fourth, thus: (50 X 90 X 3,480) ^ 36 = 
435,000, constant. The efficiency is calculated 
by this constant as follows: 

6,700 (yards) X 52 (picks per inch) -^ 435,000 
(constant) == 80 i/io per cent, efficiency of looms 
per week. 

When the cuts vary but slightly in length the 
average picks for any given time can be found by 
adding the number of picks per inch in each cut 



36 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 

and dividing the total by the number of cuts. 

The record of production is usually kept in the 
weave room in such form that this method involves 
very little labor. The constant number.|remains 
unchanged as long as the number of looms, speed 
and running time are constant. Having this con- 
stant number a weave room overseer can calcu- 
late the percentage of efficiency in a few minutes. 
This is an invaluable means of determining the ef- 
ficiency of a weave room and should be used|in 
every weaving mill. 



Split Selvages 

I would like to obtain information regarding 
mock selvages that is selvages in the center or 
in any part of the cloth. Brantford (1044). 

Split selvages are used to weave two narrow 
cloths in a broad loom. The difficulty of mak- 
ing a split is to make a centre selvage which will 
not allow the warp threads to unravel after the 
cloth is cut into two narrow widths. There are 
several mechanical devices for making a good 
split selvage, but I will illustrate two which have 
given good results. The first one is worked after 
the principle of a leno thread as shown at Figs. 
I, 2 and 3. Fig. i shows the harness level. Fig. 
2 shows the harness when doup is straight, and 
Fig. 3 shows the doup crossed; a, the whip roll; 

b, the elastic for keeping the ground thread up; 

c, the lease rods; d, the doup; e, the doup thread; 
f, the ground thread. 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 



Zl 



The split threads are generally made of ply 
yarns, 2/4OS or 3/60S, slashed on the same beams 
as the regular yarn, two threads for each selvage. 




\.J S,' V/ w 



% 



r" £ 



O 




FIGS. I, 2, AND 3. 

The illustrations show the construction « of one of 
the selvages, the other is drawn in the same man- 
ner. A single dent is left empty for space to al- 
low the knives to cut without damaging the cloth. 



38 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 

If two dents were left empty the space would be 
too great and would cause a bad selvage after the 
cloth is cut. 

The split threads after leaving the beam come 
over the whip roll, then the ground thread passes 
over the lease rods and the doup thread being al- 
ways down and the ground thread up it is easier 
on the yarn and does not break as often. The 
ground thread after passing over the lease rods 
is held up by a wire hook (b) which is attached to 
the loom by a piece of elastic which allows the 
thread to be pulled down a little while the doup 
is over the ground thread. The doup thread is 
drawn underneath the eye of the back harness, 
thus allowing the harness to pull the thread down 
but not lift up, and then through the eye of the 
doup. This doup is made of a very fine steel 
chain about 1/16 of an inch in diameter. There 
is a great deal of wear and tear on the doup, and 
the chain will last about four weeks and costs 
from 6 to 12 cents per loom. 

This motion is mostly used on ordinary light 
plain cloth. 

Crompton & Knowles Loom Works sell a very 
good motion for split selvages which would do for 
any cloth, whether light or heavy. Fig. 4, rep- 
resents this motion. It is attached to a stand 
which is bolted to the arch of the loom. Fig. 5 
is attached to Fig. 4 by bolt, H. Fig.- 6 shows 
how it looks when on the loom. The motion is 
in the center of the loom in front of the harness 
and behind the reed. Arms, I, are fastened to 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 



39 



the harness straps by a narrow piece of leather, L. 
The two threads of the selvage are drawn through 



CM] 



m 



TT 



^ 




C ^ 



m 



IM] 



40 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 



the wire dents or grate, J, attached to Fig. 4, 
and the crossing threads are drawn through the 
eye of the needle, K, on Fig. 5. Arm i^ is attached 
to the front harness and arm i^ is attached to the 
back harness. 



x~ |xT alp* 

T gyc T xT X 

"x r xr~u gr ** 

X x"T~ xTx 

X X I I 1x1 IXI 



I [xi HLx 

Mx] ~rx 

Ix] "r x 

XI 1x1 



FIG. 7. 



PIG. 8. 



When the front harness is pulled down arm i^ 
is pulled down, bringing the needles, K, to the 
right hand side of grate, J and bringing the cross- 
ing threads at the right hand side of the selvage 
threads. When i-^ is dropped the needles are 
pulled back to the left making a stitch in the sel- 
vage. Figs. 7 and 8 show the effect on the cloth. 

Denmark. 



Filling^ Waste 

How much filling waste should be made in 
weaving goods with 3 1/2 run filling? York (520) 

The following statement shows the amount of 
filling waste made for a series of consecutive weeks 
in a weave room where 4-run filling was used on 
three-fourths of the looms and 2-run filling on the 
other fourth. The total weight of the cloth woven 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 4I 

and the percentage of waste based on this weight 

are also given. 

Week Pounds Filling waste, 

ending. cloth woven Pounds. <77 

May 25 6,115 212 3.4 

June 1 4.935 125 2.5 

June 8 6,123 115 1.9 

June 15 7,136 117 1.6 

June 22 6,899 133 1-9 

June 29 6,586 118 1.7 

Julys 3.150 42 1.3 

July 13 6,733 125 1-9 

July 20 4,116 102 2.5 

July 27 5.943. 120 2 

Aug. 3 and 10 16,989 329 i .9 

Aug. 17 8,554 157 1.8 

Aug. 24 7,926 148 1.9 

Aug. 31 7,849 149 1.9 

Sept. 7 6,072 127 2 . 1 

Sept. 14 7,910 165 2.1 

Sept. 21 7,666 148 1 .9 

Sept. 28 and Oct. 5 . . . . 12,562 254 2 

Oct. 12 6,424 116 1.8 

Oct. 19 6,404 125 1.95 

Oct. 26, Nov. 2 and 9. . 19,935 374 ^-^7 

Nov. 16 6,903 155 2 . 24 

Nov. 23 6,995 127 1 . 81 

Nov. 30 5,815 152 2.62 

Dec. 7 7,520 149 1.98 

Dec. 14 5,986 131 2.18 

Dec. 21 7,105 148 2.08 

Total 206,351 4,163 2.01 

This list begins with the first week for which a 

statement was kept and it is interesting to note 
the marked reduction of waste from 3.4 per cent, 
to 1.9 per cent, as a consequence of the efforts of 



42 KINKS FOR BOSS WKAVI:RS 

the overseer to prevent an excessive amount of 
filling waste. This illustrates the value of such 
statements in keeping the overseer constantly in- 
formed regarding the exact amount of waste made 
in his room. 



Twisting- In Warps 

Is there an economy in the practice of twist- 
ing in warps on plain work? Panama (680). 

From my experience I should say that there is 
an economy in twisting in plain warps. If a loom 
fixer runs his section and does all the changing 
without the aid of a helper it is economy not to 
twist-in, as he can then change a warp in less- 
time than if it is twisted, especially if there are a 
large number of ends in the warp. When a spare 
fixer does the changing it is better to have the 
warps twisted-in for a twister is usually paid by 
the piece and so the loom will not be idle as long 
when changing the warp and no spare fixer will 
be needed. Henry Owen. 

I do not think there is any economy in twisting 
in warps on plain work unless it is on looms equip- 
ped with drop wires, then the cost of wiring up- 
the new warp will be saved by having it twisted 
in the loom. On looms without wires the warps- 
can be drawn in 20 per cent, cheaper than twist- 
ing them in, besides the advantage of a thorough- 
y clean harness and reed on each drawn warp.. 

Clinton. 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 43 

Oiling and Cleaning in Weave Rooms 

What is the usual method for oiling and clean- 
ing weaving machinery? Is it done by the wea- 
vers or by special help employed for that pur- 
pose? Perry (569). 

In mills where plain looms are used it is cus- 
tomary for the weavers to do their own cleaning 
and oiling. On fancy work or on jacquards or 
on Draper looms, or where warp stop motions 
ha*fe been installed and the weavers are required 
to look after a large number of looms, the oiling 
and cleaning is usually done by men or boys hired 
for that special purpose. 

From Manchester, N. H., a correspondent 
writes: "In all the mills in this city the weavers 
do their own cleaning and oiling." 

From Rhode Island: "In these mills the wea- 
vers do the cleaning and oiling, but special help 
is employed to clean and oil the jacquard heads, 
which are over the tops of the looms." 

From Massachusetts: "In all the mills in which 
I have worked it is usual for weavers to oil their 
looms once a week, generally on Monday. They 
have to clean their own looms and are generally 
allowed an hour on Saturday morning for that pur- 
pose. When they are on piece work many of 
them clean the looms during the noon hour on 
Friday. The exceptions to this are where Draper 
looms are used or where stop motions have been 
installed. In such cases men or boys go around 
early in the week and do the oiling and in the lat- 
ter part of the week do the cleaning." 



44 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 

From a Connecticut overseer: "I have been an 
overseer in three mills and in all of them the weav- 
ers did their own cleaning and oiling. In some 
mills where they have the Draper looms special 
help is hired for this purpose. In fancy mills the 
fixers have done the oiling and I think this is the 
best plan as quite a good deal is saved in oil cans 
and oil. A good many weavers think their looms 
won't run well unless they have as much oil on the 
floor as on the loom. Cleaners are not necessary 
where the weavers run only from two to eight 
looms. I have been in the weave roorh for thirty 
years and always did my own cleaning." 

From a Massachusetts mill: "When the weav- 
ers run four, six or eight looms each they have 
to clean and oil their own looms. I find it much 
better to have them do so as they are more inter- 
ested in their own looms than a cleaner would be, 
the latter being cheap help earning about $5.00 
per week. On Draper looms one man cleans and 
oils 208 looms. A number of our looms are 
equipped with electric stop motions and one man 
cleans and oils 150 of these. My weavers on 
Draper looms run from 16 to 20; on the looms 
with electric stop motions they run from loto 12." 

From a New Bedford mill: "On fancy work 
with dobby heads our weavers run four, five and 
six looms and do their own cleaning, oiling and 
sweeping. The weavers on the jacquard looms 
clean, oil and sweep with a boy to oil and clean 
the heads over the looms. On plain work on the 
Northrop loom our weavers run 16 looms and 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 45 

have a boy to clean, oil and sweep for each 104 
looms." 

From a sheeting mill: ''The weavers clean 
and oil their own looms and do their own sweep- 
ing. It has always been so in all the cotton mills 
where I have worked. We keep a chore hand to 
do the sweeping and scrubbing of the spare floor 
and to separate the waste, that is, to take the 
clean waste from the dirty, so it can be more 
readily graded in the waste house. He also looks 
after the weavers' oil cans and sees that they are 
kept full and in good condition. After twenty 
years of more or less experimenting I have found 
that this way gives the best satisfaction to the 
office and the help." 



Sizing for Worsted Warp 

Please publish a recipe for a good size for sin- 
gle worsted warp. Benn (834). 

A good size for worsted warp is made with 4 
ounces of good glue and a gallon of water; for 
single worsted I would use 4 ounces of glue and 
2 ounces of Irish moss to a gallon of water. This 
requires two tanks, as it takes a long time to boil 
the mixture, and one must be in course of prepara- 
tion while the other is being used. Pitman. 



Curled Selvages 

Can you suggest a remedy that will help us 
to overcome the difficulty of curled selvages in 



46 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVEJRS 

3 and 4-leaf twills? We enclose samples of the 
4-leaf twill cloth, showing the goods and sel- 
vages before and after finishing. As the goods 
leave the mill the selvages lay out perfectly flat, but 
the finisher claims that as soon as they are wet 
the selvages curl, making it almost impossible to 
finish the goods. Our yarns are standard twist 
and the filling is laid into cloth without any 
extra tension in the shuttles. 

Lincoln (553). 

One of the greatest troubles in a dyehouse or 
bleachery is curly selvages, that is, cloth on which 
the selvages begin to curl as soon as it is wet and 
before the dye vat is reached, resulting in the un- 
der part of the curl not being dyed, and creating 
an endless amount of complaint because it is prac- 
tically impossible to straighten them out again. 

In looking at the gray sample it is at once ap- 
parent that the selvage is too narrow and not 
properly drawn in. Only six threads are used 
for each selvage, and these are drawn in two in 
an eye in the twill weave, making what is known 
as a wire edge, and it is almost impossible to keep 
such selvages from curling. 

A machine is built through which the cloth is 
run just before reaching the dry cans in order 
to straighten out the edges of the goods. This 
machine consists of two brass rolls, geared to- 
gether and running in opposite directions, and 
grooved in such a manner as to make it impos- 
sible for these curly edges to get past Scrimp 
bars are also used in this way with some suc- 
cess, when the selvages are not too narrow. In 



• KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 47 

some mills where the cloth has two runs in the 
process of dyeing, the difficulty is sometimes met 
by running the cloth face downward on the first 
run and face upward on the second run, but this 
attempt to prevent the curling is only successful 
in mild cases. 

The best and about the only way to keep out 
these curly edges is to go back to the weave room 
and make what is known as a tape selvage. This 
is done by means of a plain weave (one up and one 
down). In mills where the looms are equipped 
for only four harness work an attachment can easi- 
ly be applied to supply the two harnesses neces- 
sary for the selvages, without interfering with the 
arrangement of the cams for a twill weave. In 
making this tape selvage the filling is looped at 
the bottom, and not at the top, as is the case with 
the samples referred to. Gloucester. 

The curly selvage trouble is a very common one, 
especially in twilled cloth where plain selvages are 
most desired. The cause is, in great measure, con- 
ditional, and a close study of the draught, loom 
and filling is necessary to locate the remedy. By 
examining the two samples I should think the fil- 
ling and draught were at fault. The selvage is 
drawn in cordy. If the warp is strong enough, 
draw every thread in warp single; if not, then draw 
six to eight double threads in harness and reed, 
straight draw. If warp reeds do not fill up the 
whole reed, leave most spare reeds at filling mo- 
tion side. If the cloth is woven three up and 
one down, set harness cams three inches from fell 



48 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 

of the cloth, and if one up and three down, 
two inches will be about right. If curled selvage 
is on filling motion side, notice carefully the weight 
of the fork. Do not use too much friction in the 
shuttles. Do not put more turns of twist in the 
filling than 3 to 3.15 times the square root of count. 
When using cop filling a straight shuttle eye will 
sometimes remedy the trouble. I have seen the 
trouble stopped by dropping the back whip roll. 

Shandon. 

All selvages that are drawn in similar to the sam- 
ple enclosed have a tendency to curl. There is a 
thick ridge, particularly on one side, caused by the 
peculiar manner of drawing in the threads. Two 
doubles lie under the others and make a double 
selvage which can be overcome by straight draw- 
ing in. On drills coarse threads must be avoided. 
When the cloth becomes wet these threads have a 
tendency to draw and cause the selvage to curl. 
By coarse threads I mean individual threads that 
are very prominent, forming a ridge. I have over- 
come this fault by drawing in an occasional single 
thread near the outer edge of the selvage. 

Will Nelson. 

From the samples submitted I should say the 
selvage was not strong enough and that the threads 
were drawn in wrong. You do not say whether a 
twill or a plain selvage is required and therefore I 
am somewhat at a loss what to say. I have woven 
something similar, 108 by 48, 12 1/2 yarn and 15s 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 49 

filling with only one double thread for the selvage 
and I never had any trouble with the selvages. I 
have had sateens curl at the selvage and the only 
way I could remedy that was by skipping a dent 
between the body and the selvage, then drawing 
in a dent and skipping another and so on. I 
should recommend this method if a good selvage 
is required. . Dan Ready. 

^ The only complete remedy for the trouble found 
in finishing four-leaf twills is to have a plain sel- 
vage put on both sides of the cloth. As the cloth 
is now woven, the outside end on the selvage is 
woven in by the filling every fourth pick., while 
once in four picks there are three ends that are on 
the outside of the selvage and which do not inter- 
lace the filling, thus making a very ragged and 
loose selvage. Owing to the construction being 
heavier in the warp than in the filling the natural 
tendency of the cloth when placed in water is to 
shrink. The cloth curls toward the back because 
of the open character of the weave on that side. 

If the 'cloth is examined under the , microscope 
it will be noticed that the selvage ends are all 
crowded together. When the outside end is crossed 
by the filling it is pulled over the next three ends 
and the shrinkage of the filling when wet is suffi- 
cient to cause the rolling of the selvage to continue 
When it gets a start there is no means, short of a 
tentering machine, to keep it straight. 

By using selvage motions the selvage ends can 
be made to interlace the filling in plain weave or- 



50 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVI^RS 

der. This will also permit the selvage harness to 
be set so that the filling will be engaged and held 
by the warp while it is being brought up by the 
lay, and still be able to set the beat-up of the body 
of the cloth wherever it is best for weaving. 

If it is desired to avoid using selvage motions 
the selvage could be improved by drawing in the 
selvage threads on the first and third harnesses 
only, which would make the selvage weave with 
a plain intersection. By this arrangement every 
other pick would not be woven in the selvage, but 
would be drawn to the body of the cloth. The 
improvement from this change would consist in 
the fact that when the filling was woven into the 
selvage every other end would be up or down and 
thus give double the number of intersections. 
This would prevent the shuttle from causing the 
selvage to roll, which is the first and real cause of 
the selvage rolling when being finished. 

Arthur Dyson. 



Calculating Number of Picks 

We are making cotton warp horse blankets. 
The filling measures 55 yards to the ounce, the 
weight of the blanket being regulated by the 
picks per inch. The orders give the size in inches 
and the weight in pounds, thus: 

500 blankets 84 inches long, 76 inches wide, 
4 1/2 pounds. 

I would like to know how to calculate quickly 
and accurately the number of picks required 
to give the required weight. We have but a 



KINKS FOR BOSS WE^AV^RS 5 1 

few different cotton warps, that for the 4 1/2- 
pound blanket being 1800 ends 8s cotton. The 
blankets are finished dry, stretch 5 per cent, 
and lose about 3 per cent, in finishing. A blank- 
et 76 inches wide is woven 84 inches wide in the 
loom. E. Venzo (616). 

Estimating the warp take-up in weaving at 4 
per cent, the number of picks per inch is found as 
follows : 

72 (ozs. in 4 1/2 lbs.) -=- 2 1/3 (yds. in 84 in.) = 
* 30.9 ozs. per running finished yard. 
30.9 (ozs.) X 1.05 (100% + 5 % stretch) =32.44 
32.44 -f- .97 (100% — 3 % loss) = 33.4 ozs. per 

running woven yard. 
1800 (ends) -^ .96 (100% — 4 % take-up) = 1896 

yds. warp. 
1896 (yds. warp) -e- 420 (yds. 8s per oz.) = 4.5 ozs. 

cotton warp per yd. 
33.4 (ozs.) — 4.5 (ozs.) = 28.9 ozs. filling per yd. 
28.9 (ozs.) X 55 (yds. filling per oz.) = 1590 yds. 

filling per yd. 
1590 -f- 84 (in. wide) = 19 picks. 

In this case we would advise making the lay-out 
22 picks and then watching the weights and cor- 
recting any irregularity by reducing the number. 
This will prevent the first blankets from being too 
light. 



Single and Double Knot Harness 

What is the comparative life of single and 
double knot harness? Ringgold (679). 

I have found very little difference in the length 
of time a harness will wear, whether single or 



52 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 

double knot. Each has its good qualities, but 
under different conditions. Clinton. 

I have found that a single knot harness will last 
almost as long as a double knot harness, that is, a 
single knot usually lasts from five to eight years, 
and a double knot from five to ten years, if they 
are treated with a good varnish. Henry Owen. 



Effect of Moisture in Yarn 

We are running 120 looms on worsted and cot- 
ton worsted goods, buying all the yarn required 
and have difficulty with the variation in the 
weight of the goods, especially the woven weight 
per yard. For example, one standard grade of 
our worsted goods is made with 2/30 warp and 
filling. Two months ago this fabric weighed 
about 16 ounces per yard from the loom and 
finished about 14 1/2 ounces without any change 
in length. Today we are making the same 
fabric from a different lot of 2/30 yarn bought 
from the same spinner, and the goods average 
about 17 ounces per yard from the loom and, 
curiously, finish about 14 1/2 ounces with no 
change of length, the same as with the old lot 
of yarn. Following are the particulars of two 
average pieces made from different lots of yarn. 

Old lot, woven 45 yards, 16 ounces. 

Finished 45 yards. 14 4/10 ounces. 

New lot, woven 48 yards, 17 i/io ounces. 

Finished 48 yards, 14 4/10 ounces. 

At present we are weaving about 2,500 yards 
of this style per week. What is the reason for 
this variation in the woven weight? Neither 
the fabric nor the process of finishing has been 
changed. Perplexed Weaver (500) . 



KINKS FOR BOSS WE:AVE:RS 53 

From the foregoing statement of the case there 
can be but one conclusion. The new lot of yarn 
contains a larger proportion of moisture, oil or 
other material beside wool. The excess of foreign 
material is removed by the finishing process which 
leaves the finished weight the same in both cases. 
This is shown as follows: 

Cut from old lot, woven, 45 pounds. 
« Finished, 40 1/2 pounds. 
Loss, 10 per cent. 

Cut from new lot, woven 51 1/4 pounds. 
Finished, 43 1/4 pounds. 
Loss, 15 8/10 per cent. 

In other words, for every 100 pounds there was 
5 8/10 pounds more oil or water in the new lot of 
yarn than in the old lot. As the fabric was made 
with the same number of ends and picks per inch 
it follows that the new lot of yarn must have 
reeled heavier than the old lot, before weaving. 

The fact that the finished weight is the same in 
both cases indicates that the variation of the wo- 
ven weight is due to an excess of moisture and not 
of oil. If there had been an excess of oil the spun 
yarn would have reeled the same because the oil 
is applied to worsted in the combing room and 
the yarn is spun in the grease. The excess of oil 
would thus have caused no change in the woven 
weight, but the removal of the oil by finishing 
would cause the finished goods to weigh less than 
when made of yarn carrying a smaller quantity 
of oil. This, however, is not the case with the 



54 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 

pieces referred to, and we are, therefore, forced to 
the conclusion that the increase in the loss of 
weight by finishing is due to the presence of 5 8/10 
per cent, more moisture in the new lot of yarn 
than was in the old lot. 

Wool is extremely hygroscopic, probably more 
so than any other textile fibre of commerce. It 
has been estimated that some grades of wool will 
absorb 30 to 40 per cent, of moisture without feel- 
ing damp to the touch. This fact makes it possi- 
ble for unscrupulous persons to load raw and part- 
ly manufactured wool with an excess of moisture 
and thus obtain the price of wool for water. This 
loading of wool materials with moisture is usually 
accomplished by storing in a damp cellar. Other 
methods are available, such, for example, as the one 
we once found a wool dealer practicing; Entering 
unexpectedly the loft in his country store in the 
West we found him standing in the center of a 
pile of wool industriously sprinkling water over 
the stock with an ordinary garden sprinkler. 

This evil has been reduced to a minimum in 
Europe by the process of conditioning, which 
consists in determining what the weight of the 
textile material would be if it contained the legal 
standard of moisture. On the Continent condi- 
tioning houses are organized and managed under 
legal restrictions, and their decisions are author- 
itative in commercial transactions. In England 
a conditioning house was established in 1895 by 
the Manchester Chamber of Commerce. In the 
United States we have the New York Silk Con- 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 55 

ditioning House. The legal standards of mois- 
ture adopted on the Continent are as follows: 
Worsted, i8 1/4 per cent.; woolen yarn, 17 per 
cent.; cotton, 8 1/2 per cent.; flax and hemp, 12 
per cent.; jute, 13 3/4 per cent.; shoddy yarn, 13 
per cent., all based on dry weight. For example 
118 1/4 pounds of conditioned worsted contains 
18 1/4 pounds of moisture. 

The different standards are made necessary by 
the variation in the water absorbing capacity of 
the various fibres. 

The conditioning of textile materials sold in the 
United States has been neglected. This has 
doubtless been due to a number of causes, among 
which may be mentioned the great distance sepa- 
rating mills, which makes access to a central con- 
ditioning house expensive; to the indifference of 
those who are injured by a lack of a standard of 
moisture; and to the natural disinclination of deal- 
ers to surround commercial transactions with re- 
strictions. 

The importance of conditioning is well illus- 
trated by the case of Perplexed Weaver . He is 
now making 2,500 yards per week of one style 
alone, and on 'the basis of the two pieces noted 
he is buying for this part of his production 145 
pounds of water per week at the price of worsted 
yarn. We do not know what the cost of the yarn 
is but if only 75 cents he is paying $108.75 P^r 
week for water which he thinks is wool, or at the 
rate of 4 1/3 cents per yard. The chances of loss 
in this way are greater with wool than with other 



56 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 

textile materials, owing to the greater power of 
wool to absorb moisture. 

In the absence of conditioning establishments 
buyers of yarn can in a measure guard against this 
species of fraud by carefully reeling the yarn as 
soon as it is received and again after exposing it 
to a certain temperature for several hours, then 
noting the losses. 

An excess of oil can be detected by scouring by 
hand the reelings used for the water test and not- 
ing the additional loss. These tests are neces- 
sarily crude, but will serve as a guide in the ab- 
sence of reliable conditioning establishments. 



Ends Sticking Together in Sized Warps 

How should heavily sized warps be handled 
to prevent them from sticking together 

Morton (678). 

If the warps are run slowly over the slasher and 
thoroughly dried, and separated on the slasher 
with the proper amount of softener, there will be 
very little trouble with sticking together in the 
weave room. I have used warps sized as high as 
25 per cent, in this way. Clinton. 

Warps can be prevented from sticking together 
by using a i 1/2-inch back lease and putting soap- 
stone on the warp. Morgan. 

The slasher should be sure the yarn is dried be- 
fore it is run on the beam, and the leases put in 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS S7 

right, otherwise the ends will stick together. On 
heavily sized warps the leases should be put in 
after doffing every beam. If there should be a 
smash, for instance a few threads broken out, the 
lease should be put in or they will stick. It is 
probable that the difficulty lies in the leases when 
the warps are run on the beam. Howard. 

The steam pressure should be from lo to 15 
pounds for coarse yarn, or when a large number 
of ends are being run for the warp, and also when 
the slasher is run at a high speed. Fine yarn with 
the same size and the same number of ends, say 
2000 or more, requires a lower pressure; 5 to 10 
pounds is used, with 8 pounds as the average. 
The brushes under the slasher are circular, cover- 
ed with a good grade of long bristle, and come in 
contact with the damp warp immediately after 
leaving the size roll in the box. By revolving at 
a suitable speed they improve the feel and appear- 
ance of the sized warps, especially fine yarns or 
colored work, where a distinct weave effect is re- 
quired in the fabric. The slasher cylinder should 
be kept clean at all times, and when stopped at 
night the size rolls and squeeze rolls should be 
washed down with cold water, the immersion roll 
raised out of the size box, the squeeze rolls taken 
from contact with the size rolls and the steam shut 
off the cylinder. The comb at the front of the 
slasher should have from 7 to 11 dents per inch. 

The separating rods play an important part in 
preventing the yarn sticking together, they divide 



58 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVKRS 

the warp into as many sheets as there are section 
beams in the creel, and as the warp passes through 
the expansion comb it divides the ends into 300 
to 500 groups of ends with the group in each dent 
consisting of one end from each section beam, and 
not more than two threads should be put in one 
dent. If these suggestions are carried out there 
will be no trouble with the yarn sticking together 
and it will make a good yarn to weave. 

Henry Owen. 

There are several ways to treat sized warps ac- 
cording to how heavy the size is put on. One 
method is to have the back lease rod about three 
times the diameter of the ordinary lease rod, and 
this is all that is necessary unless the size has 
been laid on extra thick. By increasing the size 
of the lease rod the yarn is separated before it 
gets close to the rod and thus prevents its bunch- 
ing as it would do if only an ordinary lease rod 
were used. With a small rod the point where 
the yarn begins to separate is so close to the lease 
rod that it will bunch up close to the rod and break 
out. With the large rod the point of separation 
is farther away. 

Another method is to have two flat lease rods 
fastened together by spring hinges and used for 
the back rod instead of the ordinary round one. 
With the working of the harnesses these two rods 
open and close and the yarn is thus separated as 
it comes from the beam. 

For very heavily sized warps it is well to use 



KINKS FOR BOSS Wi:AVERS 59 

an extra lease rod in the same lease as the back 
rod. This extra one is attached to the lay with a 
wire and to the whip roller with a spring so that 
the rod moves forward and back with the lay and 
keeps the yarn well separated. Dan Ready. 



Calculating the Width of Cloth in the 
Loom 

I notice that the loom reed for cotton goods is 
often figured by subtracting i from the number 
of threads per inch finished, and dividing the re- 
mainder by the number of threads per dent. 
For example: 

Find the reed for a 64 sley cotton cloth with 4 
threads per dent. 

(64—1) ^ 4 = 15 3/4 reed. 

Some calculators take 5 per cent, from this re- 
mainder: 

15 3/4 X .95 (100% — 5 %) = 14.96 

In this case they would use a 15 reed. 

This practice is confined to the cotton industry. 
I wish you would explain why they deduct i 
from the number of threads per inch finished. 

Ego (398). 

The practice of calculating the reed referred to 
by Ego is purely arbitrary. Cotton goods are 
woven wider than the finished width in order to al- 
low for contraction due to take-up after weaving 
and the allowance of i thread per inch is made for 
this purpose. It does not answer for all cases be- 
cause the take-up varies with the size of the yarn 
and the weave, as well as with the number of 
threads per inch, consequently the difference of i 



6o KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 

between the finished and loom set of cotton fabrics 
may be right for one weave or size of yarn and 
wrong if the weave or size of the yarn is changed. 

A better practice is employed in the woolen in- 
dustry where the loom width is first determined 
by making what is considered the necessary al- 
lowance for take-up. The threads per inch in the 
loom are then calculated from the total number 
of ends and the required width. 

Ex. A cloth to be finished 55 inches wide is to 
be laid 75 inches wide in the loom with 4 threads 
per dent. There are 3,000 ends in the warp. 
Find the reed required. 

3000 -e- 75 = 40, threads per inch in the loom. 
40 -^ 4 = 10, reed. 

This is the best practice for calculating the reed 
for cotton as well as woolen goods, as it is based 
on a preliminary estimate of the proper allowance 
to be made for take-up. 

The wide variation in the loom width of woolens 
and worsteds on account of the shrinkage due to 
fulling explains why the arbitrary method men- 
tioned by Ego is not used for these goods. 

We referred Ego's question to a practical cotton 
goods manufacturer who makes the following reply: 

"While many men in the cotton industry make a 
practice of deducting i, yet it is not the only rule 
used, and in fact is not nearly as good as it is claim- 
ed to be. Personally I prefer a method similar 
to that used for worsteds. Where the reasons 
for deducting i from the sley comes in I do not 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 6l 

know, as it is manifestly impossible for one to get 
good results thereby. It stands*to reason that the 
higher the count, the more the shrinkage, and yet 
by deducting i from lOO you get i per cent., while 
I from 50 means 2 per cent. The second calcula- 
tion is nearer the mark. I object to the i at the 
start, but uphold the 95 per cent. idea. This is. 
the rule that is in general use, but it is not a good 
rule nevertheless. 

• "My rule is to find the number of ends to be used. 
For instance on a 100 X 100, 40 inch goods, it 
would take 4,000 ends to give the required cloth. 
From 24 to 36 ends are used as doubles for the sel- 
vage, and thus 3,976 ends are available for use in 
finding the reed. The next thing is to determine 
the shrinkage of the cloth, and to do this we must 
know the counts, weight, filling and kind of weave, 
as all these have an effect on the shrinkage. Then 
again with stop-motions a little more width must 
be allowed, so that on a 100 X too, 7 yards, 40 
inch goods, we should need about 43 1/4 inches 
in the reed. 

3,976^43.25=91.93, threads per inch. 

91.93 -^ 2 = 45.96, reed or 46 dents per inch or: 

4,000 — 24-3,976. 

3,976 -j- 2 = 1,988, dents required. 

1,988 -7- 43.25 (width required) =45.97 reed or 46. 

This rule is similar to that for worsted and wool- 
en goods and the only one worth considering when 
correct results are wanted, but in many mills they 
use the other for the sake of uniformity and allow 
extra ends where the shrinkage is greater, thus- 



62 KINKS FOR BOSS WE:AVERS 

giving more than the required sley; when the 
shrinkage is less they take out some ends, and 
in the end come out about even. Arthur Dyson. 

1 was much interested in the query of Ego re- 
lating to calculating the width of cloth in the loom, 
and the answers given to it. In my opinion, the 
method of using the cloth sley minus i X -95, is to 
provide a sliding scale on the theory of high sleys 
contract less than low sleys. Taking the calcula- 
tion of Arthur Dyson for lOO X lOO, 40-inch goods, 

2 ends per dent: 

(100 — i) X .95 = 94 ends per inch in reed, 
giving 47 reed with 2 ends per dent. This would 
allow for a contraction of 6 per cent. Take a 
fabric of 50 sley, cotton cloth, using the same 
method as previous example: 

(50 — i) X .95 = 46.5 ends per inch in reed, 
or 23 reed with 2 ends per dent. This would al- 
low for a contraction of about 8 per cent. 

The example cited by Arthur Dyson, 100 sley, 
40 inches wide, would call for 2,000 dents; allowing 
24 extra ends for selvage would give a warp for 
4,024 ends reeded as follows: 

ends. 

12 doubles = 6 dents 

3976 singles = 1988 dents 

12 doubles = 6 dents 

4024 ends in 2000 dents 

2000 dents -^ 47 reed = 42.55 inches width 
of cloth in reed. East Hill, 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 63 

Loss Due to Filling Waste 

Can you give me a fair average of the differ- 
ence in value of yarn on the bobbin and in the 
form of waste, including cotton, woolen and 
silk? Mansfield (357). 

There are so many grades of cotton, woolen, 
worsted and silk yarn that it would be impossible 
to give an average of the difference in value of 
ii^rn on the bobbin and in the form of waste. 
This difference would have to be estimated sepa- 
rately for each kind of yarn and depends in a great 
measure upon the cost of the raw material; the 
higher this is the greater is the difference between 
the value of the yarn and the waste. 

Depreciation is caused by inability to rework 
the waste into its original form. Take fine wors- 
ted yarn for example. This can be made only of 
long, fine combed wool. When once spun into 
the form of yarn it cannot be torn up and rework- 
ed into the same grade of yarn, but must be man- 
factured on the carded woolen system and spun 
into coarser and cheaper yarn, which is used for 
a low grade of goods. 

As the value of the raw material is lowered, the 
margin between the value of the yarn and the 
waste from it decreases until a point is reached 
where the yarn waste is practically as suitable 
for reworking as was the material from which it 
was originally made. In such a case the loss 
caused by waste consists in the cost of convert- 
ing the raw material into yarn. This is an im- 



64 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 

portant item, and includes not only the cost of 
the manual operations such as coloring, card- 
ing and spinning, but also the cost of fixed charges 
of the mill including rent, taxes, insurance, watch- 
men, repairs, interest, etc., as well as the loss re- 
sulting from decreased production caused by the 
yarn going into waste instead of into the form of 
cloth. 

There is no doubt that if a careful estimate was 
made of the loss caused in the mills throughout 
the world by turning filling yarn into waste, some 
startling results would be reached. This is evi- 
dent from the case of the small mill operating 
sixty looms, in which the loss due to filling waste 
amounts to $9,000 per year. Cotton yarn, unless 
twisted very soft, is of no value for reworking into 
yarn, and the same loss is very large on silk yarn. 
It would take much time and involve much labor 
and research to make even an approximation of 
this loss, which in the aggregate is enormous. 

Filling waste is the most promising field for 
economy in the textile industry. The present 
wasteful methods are not seriously felt, because 
they have always existed. The only way to par- 
tially remedy the difficulty at present is for the 
overseer to give his personal attention to the mat- 
ter, day in and day out. This is a very difficult 
thing to do, as it is impossible for an overseer to 
keep every weaver constantly under his eye. 
Consequently when the weaving overseer becomes 
unusually vigilant in this respect, the weavers 
are likely to pocket the waste, carry it out of the 



KINKS FOR BOSS WKAVKRS 65 

mill and destroy it. When the overseer comes 
around and finds a small quantity in the mill he is 
gratified at the showing, while the manufacturer 
is worse off than if the waste had been left in the 
mill to be reworked into other goods. Dearborn. 



Determining Number of Yards on a Beam 

Can the number of yards in a cut be figured 
ffom the beam on the loom, when the diameter 
of the barrel and length of beam and size of the 
yarn are known? Will the amount of size in 
the yarn have to be considered and the number 
of picks? Williston (746). 

We do not see how it would be possible to de- 
termine the length of a cut from the size of the 
yarn on the beam. The number of cuts depends 
not only on the length of the warp, but on the 
length of the cut, and a short warp may contain 
as many cuts as a long one providing the length 
of the cuts is made to correspond. 

If Williston intends to ask whether the length 
of the warp can be determined from the size of 
the empty and full beams then the question be- 
comes more susceptible of a reply. If the yarn 
is wound on the beam at a uniform density the 
volume or cubic capacity of the yarn would bear 
a constant relation to the length of the warp. The 
tension varies, however, and consequently the den- 
sity of the yarn on the beam varies with it ; for 
this reason it would be necessary to have data as 
to the number of yards of warp in a cubic inch or 



66 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 

foot of beamed yarn on which to base the calcu- 
lations- of the length from the size of the beam. 
By this method of estimating, the amount of size 
need not be taken into consideration. The num- 
ber of picks in the cloth has nothing to do with 
the length of the warp on a beam. 



Reed Marks 



Enclosed is a sample of our finished ginghams, 
which is reed marked? These goods are made 
with a 50s warp and 56s filling. Can these marks be 
prevented? Is there any way to take them out 
in the finishing process? Daniels (935). 

The sample of gingham sent me is very badly 
marked. So many things might cause it that 
it is difficult to say which one is responsible in 
this particular case. The whip roll may be too 
low; the breast beam may need a strip of wood 
to make it higher; the harness cams may not be 
set on proper time. I would suggest that the 
whip roll be raised and that a strip of wood be 
placed on the breast beam, say about 1/4 of an 
inch thick and about i inch wide. This will help 
to put a better face on the cloth, giving the yarn 
a chance to spread. If this does not give the de- 
sired result then set the cams so the harness will 
change about i i/'^2 inches from the fell of the 
cloth. Do not weave too loose nor too tight. 
The overseer and second hands should be on the 
constant lookout. 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 6/ 

I have had twenty-two years' experience on 
this class of goods and think if these suggestions 
are followed the cloth will come out all right, al- 
though as I have said before, so many things might 
cause the trouble that it would be impossible to 
give a definite opinion without seeing the looms 
in operation. Gammaliel Gaunt. 

It is difficult to prevent reed marks in plain 
cloth. The finer the reed,- the more difficult it 
is to prevent them; in some cases it is impossible. 
This is due to the fine wire used in the reed, and 
to the warp not yielding readily to the finer fill- 
ing when the reed is beating up. The wires of 
the reed swing more or less anyway. 

These marks are caused when the reed beats 
up and the more one thinks of it the more sur- 
prising it is that they can be prevented. In the 
sample enclosed there are two ends in one dent; 
that is, each two ends are separated by a piece 
of wire. 

The shape of the cam has a great deal to do 
with preventing reed marks and making a better 
appearing cloth. To prevent reed marks the 
shed should be open with the whip roll fixed on 
a higher plane than the center of the shed when 
the reed beats up. When the harnesses are set 
in this manner the bottom shed is tighter than 
the top shed; this causes the warp threads to 
force the filling equally between the threads, and 
it is only by getting the filling equally between 
these single threads that a full cloth can be made. 



68 KINKS I^OR BOSS W^AVKRS 

unless one thread is placed in one dent. 

I do not think it possible to take out reed marks 
in such fine cloth as this in the finishing process. 
The fibers will not swell and blend with the next 
thread, as does wool. Mangling might overcome 
this defect, as this tends to spread the yarn and 
give the cloth a softer finish. Jean Paul. 

I have found the chief cause of reed marks to 
be in the whip roll being too low. Another cause 
is having the harness level with the lay of the loom 
and too far away from the fell of the cloth. On 
light work like the sample sent I should have the 
lay brought up to within an inch of the cloth, and 
would put a rod from 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch thick 
on the edge of the breast beam so as to throw up 
the cloth at this point. I would also raise the 
whip roll so the yarn will slant downward to the 
eye of the heddle, and rise slightly from the fell 
of the cloth to the edge of the breast beam. If 
the loom is set in this manner it will cover up the 
reed marks. I do not know of anything that will 
take them out after the cloth is woven. 

Jack Ready. 

I have worked in a good many different mills 
and run up against as many different reed marks 
as any one. In 99 times out of every 100 I have 
found the loom to be the cause of the trouble. 

A few years ago a commission house sent back 
a piece of cloth to the mill where I was fixing looms 
and told the superintendent if he could not make 
cloth without reed marks they would not handle 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 69 

any more of his product. The mill was running 
on shirtings and colored dress goods, plain weave, 
2, 3 and 4 harness work, 60s warp and 55s filling. , 
An order had gone out from the office that the 
whip rolls were to be set one inch off the beam 
so when any looked down the room everything 
would be clean and neat. That was all right, 
but they did not get the first loom set right and 
that knocked the other 700 off and caused most 
of the reed marks. We knew what was being 
done, but we simply kept up our sections and 
when the cloth came out worse than usual with 
reed marks we would put on another reed and 
sometimes squared up the shuttle. I saw -some 
men doing this who, I suppose, had been fixing 
looms before I was born. 

Things ran along this way for a while and then 
one day the overseer called all the fixers into his 
office. The superintendent was in that little of- 
fice too. We all knew what was coming and the 
expression on his face I have never forgotten. As 
the last man came in wiping the perspiration off 
his face with a piece of cop waste, the superin- 
tendent opened out a piece of cloth and laid it 
on a blackboard. It was filled with reed marks. 
"We have had kicking enough about these reed 
marks," he said, "to have stopped it long ago. We 
have spent hundreds of dollars on reeds and we 
have got the best in the market. I have called 
you in today to find out what is wrong in the 
weave room. I have been putting it up to the 
finisher, but he says it is in the weave room. 



70 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 

Now if any of you can solve the problem, out 
with it, now or never." 

We all looked at each other, but nobody would 
speak. Finally the overseer said: "Boys, if you 
have got anything to say don't be afraid." That 
helped a little, but still nobody spoke. After 
waiting a few minutes longer the superintendent 
said, "I haven't heard anyone say anything yet." 
We all looked at each other again and after awhile 
I opened up by saying that the last mill I was in 
had to put a cover on the cloth, but that they 
didn't seem to care anything about it in this mill." 
By the time the superintendent asked me what 
cover had to do with reed marks, I began to get 
a little more courage and told him I thought it 
did have something to do with it. Then he asked 
me why I didn't put a cover on my cloth and I 
told him if I did I should have to break the rules 
by raising the whip rolls and moving the harness 
cams from the bottom center to very near the 
front center. I told him this would not only help 
to prevent the reed marks, but also the filling 
marks made when the weavers started up the 
looms after they had been stopped for a while. 
The superintendent told the overseer to take me 
to the loom that the piece of cloth came from 
and let me turn it upside down if I wanted to and 
they would look for the results. 

The overseer and I went to the loom and we 
began by straightening out the reed, then we 
set the whip roll about 2 inches above the level 
of the lay, and when we got the harness shade 



KINKS FOR BOSS WKAVl^RS 7 1 

set with very little tension on the up shade, 
we leveled the harness and moved the 
lay half way from the cloth. We took off the 
backs of the shuttle boxes and squared them up; 
we also squared the shuttles and filed off the 
shoulder so they would not interfere with the 
reed if t^e picking stick should throw the shut- 
tles against it. When the work was done and 
the loom ready to start my heart was thumping 
like a trip hammer, but the loom was all right 
and from the appearance of the cloth made on it 
any one would have thought it was a new style 
of loom. 

At the end of the week, nothing having been 
said to me in the meantime, the cloth was taken 
from the loom, inspected and finished and found 
to be free from reed marks. Then the rest of 
the looms were set in the same way and a few days 
ago when I called around to see my old bench 
mates they told me they didn't have to set the 
whip rolls in any particular place now and they 
have had no more trouble with reed marks. 

The sample of cloth sent me has very little 
cover and a cloth without cover is especially lia- 
ble to be reed marked. If these goods are woven 
on four shafts of harness and drawn in 4-2-3-1 
straight draw, the lease rods in the skip shaft, 
and looms run with a high whip roll, a lot of the 
trouble can be overcome if the reeds are not sprain- 
ed and bent. The finisher cannot take out reed 
marks unless he can shrink the cloth in width 
and even then the results would not be good. 



72 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 

Many a good finisher has lost his job through 
reed marks for which he was not to blame. 

Profile. 

We are making some of the finest goods in the 
country and never have any trouble with reed 
marks. When I am to make a piece of cloth of 
fine yarn I always have the reed fine enough 
to draw only one in a dent. This avoids the nec- 
essity of the ends passing each other in the reeds 
and spreading them. I set the harness cams so 
the reed is up to the cloth when the harness is 
even and just changing; this takes the strain off 
the reed and helps to cover up any appearance 
of reed marks. Quincy. 

These marks result from various causes, the 
principal one being the use of an uneven or worn 
out reed. The best reed may be spoiled by 
tightening it at the bottom when it is placed in 
the loom; this causes the top of the reed to spring 
out of line with the reed cap. In such a case the 
reed has to be forced forward to get the cap on, 
which causes the dents to bind. If for any reason 
the dents are sprung out of their natural posi- 
tion reed marks in the cloth are the result. 

Again they may be caused by the shuttle not 
being thrown true, which brings the heel of the 
shuttle in contact with the reed, thus damaging 
the wire. A weaver may injure the reed by the 
careless use of the reed hook; pressing the reed 
cap down too tight is almost sure to cause reed 
marks. 



KINKS FOR BOSS W^AVi^RS 73 

Another cause of reed marks is the use of a 
reed in which the wire is too heavy for the fabric, 
although the reed itself may give the required 
dents per inch; in other words, the steel used in 
the construction of the reed may be too heavy. 

A hard twisted warp, particularly one combined 
with a heavy size, will show distinctly every dent 
in the reed throughout the cloth, though the reed 
may be perfect. 

These are some of the causes of reed marks. 
The remedy is found in greater care. Care should 
be taken in the selection of the reed, and 
in handling it before it gets to the loom. When 
it is in position the greatest care should be taken 
by both fixer and weaver that the result may be 
perfect cloth. Parker. 

Reed marks may be caused by unequal shed- 
ding of the harness, the whip roll being too low, 
the lease rods too near the harnesses, cams tread- 
ing too late, or the harness cams not having the 
right dwell. To get the best results I would sug- 
gest using half dwell cams, as this gives ample 
time for the shuttle to pass through the shed, and 
the change of the harnesses is not so sudden as to 
strain the yarn. The cloth can also be woven 
with one side softer than the other, by reason of 
the filling being more prominent on that side, 
producing what is known as the cover. The har- 
ness cams should be set so that the harnesses are 
level when the cranks of the top shaft are near 
the bottom center. The • warp should be drawn 



74 KINKS i^OR BOSS WI^AVEJRS 

on 4 harnesses, beginning at the front 1-3-2-4. 
After the drawing is completed and the warp put 
in the loom, make a lease with two ends under a 
rod. This can be done by raising the second and 
fourth harnesses, placing the largest lease rods 
through the yarn, lowering the second and fourth, 
raising the first and third, and placing the smallest 
rod through the yarn. They should be set about 
6 inches from the harness and the whip roll raised 
3 or 4 inches higher than the race board on the lay. 
In an open weave, like the sample enclosed, the 
best results can be obtained by drawing the warp 
yarn through the reed, one thread in a dent. I 
do not know of any way to take out these marks 
in the finishing process. Alpha. 

In some cases reed marks can be taken out in 
the finishing if a coarser reed is used. After the 
goods have been wet and stretched the ends will 
sometimes slide over and separate, but in the case 
of the sample submitted I think the reed is a little 
too fine for this. A mock leno with three ends in 
a dent will sometimes split the ends if the pattern 
cannot be divided into three, in which case the 
third end can be brought together in the finishing. 
The sample enclosed is drawn on four harness and 
by skip shafting the warp yarn it has a tendency 
to separate. In most cases of trouble with reed 
marks we use twice as many dents. 

The style of the loom also has a good deal to 
do with reed marks. The English looms give 
more cover than American looms and the major- 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVl^RS 75 

ity of American loom fixers run the reed too close 
to the cloth, whereas if they would put the crank 
on the bottom center when the harness is level 
and a little past the top back center they would 
get a better cover. Foster. 

For weaving goods of this kind I should set the 
looms with the tops of the harness even, the reed 
2 1/4 to 2 3/4 inches from the cloth, with the rods 
as far from the harness as the harness is from the 
^loth. When the crank is on the bottom center 
the race plate should be 2 1/2 to 3 inches below 
the breast board and whip roll. Care must be 
taken that there is not too much tension on the 
yarn. Linden. 



Laying Warps in the Reed 

How I shall figure on a warp so as to lay it in 
the comb for narrow beaming? The pattern is as 
follows: lo-tooth comb; warp to be laid 36 inches 
inside selvage, allowing i inch for selvage, making 
37 inches in all: 24 ends (14 white, 4 black, 2 
white, 4 black): warp, 366 pins white, 180 pins 
black. Begin with 20 white and end with 18 
white. Sandford (865). 

Evidently "Sandford" has left out the most vital 
part of his question; namely, the number of ends 
in the warp, so that number will have to be as- 
sumed. Assuming that it is a worsted warp and 
that a 15 reed 4 ends in a dent would be used, we 
would figure it as follows: 

15/4 reed, 36 inches inside selvage; add i inch 
for selvage = 37 inches. 



76 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS" 

Pattern: white, 14 2 =16 

Black, 4 4=8 

24 

Slightly changing the figures to conform to the 

arrangement, yet retaining the same pattern, we 

have: 

White, 6 2 8 =16 

Black, 44 =8 



24 

15 (reed) X 4 X 36 (inches) = 2,160, total in 
warp. 

2,160 -f- 24 = 90 patterns. 

As there are 540 pins to be used, 2,160 -^ 540 = 
4 ends in each pin. 

The comb has 10 teeth or 10 spaces to the inch. 
36 X 10 = 360 teeth. 2,160 -^ 360 = 6 ends in 
each tooth. 

The 20 and 18 ends white are for the selvage. 

All warps will not have an equal number of ends 
in a pin or tooth of the comb, but the same method 
can be followed no matter what the division might 
be by simply dividing the remainder in as equal a 
manner as possible to prevent ridges in the warp. 
While the threads in the comb must be as near the 
same number as possible the ends in each pin are 
often placed according to the division in the weave. 

Jean Paul. 



KINKS FOR BOSS WE:aVE:RS 7/ 

Defects in Yam 

We would like to get your experts advice on 
a cotton problem which has been troubling us 
for some time. The yarn concerned is 20s, 25s, 
30s, and 36s, wound on tubes 5 inches long, 
Louisiana staple. We have used this quality for 
over ten years past without ever encountering the 
trouble mentioned hereafter. 

Some two months ago we suggested to the 
spinners from whom we bought the yarn to use 
.6-inch cops, with the results that the goods came 
from the looms full of broken picks caused by 
weak places such as you will find on the cops 
which we are sending to you. Reducing the 
tension on shuttles to practically no tension, 
reducing the speed of looms, softening of picks, 
wetting of yarn, resulted in practically no im- 
provement, as we found the yarn so weak in 
places that it fell apart. 

Our subsequent claim on the spinners was 
not received in good grace, as they claim that 
the misspicks in the goods were caused entirely 
by faulty manipulation in weaving. We have 
no looms running faster than 160 picks on 40- 
inch goods and none faster than 145 picks on 
60-inch goods. We believe that this defect 
is to be laid at the spinners' door, and it is with 
this point in view that we would like to obtain 
an expert's opinion as to the cause and remedy 
for the weak places. Holbrook (11 56). 

I find the correspondent's complaint to be thor- 
oughly justified. At irregular intervals, through- 
out these cops, there are places so soft that they 
could not possibly cross the loom without break- 
ing, and in many instances they would fall apart 
while being carefully unwound from the cop with- 



78 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 

out tension. These very soft spots were gener- 
ally from six to eighteen inches long; there were 
several from three to six feet long. In four in- 
stances a stretch of twenty yards was quite un- 
weavable. There were several instances, also, 
where the soft spot seemed to be for only two or 
three inches. Generally on each side of the un- 
weavable spots, there would be some lengths that 
would draw apart much too readily, but which, 
without tension on the shuttle, might possibly 
be woven in. These weak places occur frequent- 
ly even when not associated with the places which 
fall apart. 

The lengths of the yarn on the four cops were 
approximately, 356 yards, 344 yards, 252 yards, 
and 195 yards. Each was carefully unwound, 
being measured at the same time, and subjected 
to a considerably slighter tension than any that 
it would have had in the loom. In this unwinding 
the first cop broke, or fell apart, 21 times; the sec- 
ond, 14 times; the third, 7 times (it was in this 
that the soft 20-yard length occurred), and the 
fourth, 7 times. 

The distance between the very soft spots was 
most irregular. Sometimes two or three of these 
spots would occur at intervals of two or three yards 
from each other. The intervals between break- 
ages occurred as follows: up to and including, 
10 yards, 21 times; 11 to 20 yards, 11 times; 21 
to 30 yards, 5 times; 31 to 40 yards, 3 times; 61 
yards, once; 126 yards, once; and 143 yards, once. 

The staple of the cotton seemed to be good, 



KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVE:RS 79 

and quite as good at the soft spots as elsewhere. 
The carding or combing was apparently well done, 
and the yarn was generally very level and clean. 
The drawing also appears to have been well 
and evenly executed, and the defective places were 
not due to any lack of fiber, or thinness at those 
places. 

The entire trouble rests squarely in the spin- 
ning and in the faulty action of the mule spin- 
•dles, so that in the very soft spots only the most 
trifling twist has been given to the thread, and in 
many other places the jtwist has been decidedly in- 
insufficient to impart the necessary strength. If 
the spinner will take the pains to examine the yarn 
thoroughly, so as to find the defective places, he 
will be at no loss as to the proper way to correct 
them. The fact that the cops were spun six inches 
long, instead of five inches, should have nothing to 
do with the matter. 

The seller of such yarn as this, if he is an honest 
man, would make any reparation in reason as a 
matter of course. I cannot understand how the 
spinner can have assumed the attitude that he has 
if he has properly inspected the samples such as 
were submitted to me. 

Considering the fact that, in two instances, I 
drew off 126 yards and 143 yards of yarn, respec- 
tively, without breakage, it may be that in the sam- 
ples that were sent to the spinner he may have 
struck a sound length of yarn on each of the cops 
and so have fallen into the error of supposing that 
they were sound throughout. 



80 KIxNKS FOR BOSS WKAVKRS 

The proper course to pursue is to write the spin- 
ners firmly on the subject, send them a number 
of cops that have proved defective, and a number 
of untouched ones, and ask him to have every yard 
of them drawn off, preferably by hand. He should 
then be in a position to realize that the weaver's 
claim was thoroughly justified. Should he still 
decline to acknowledge the complaint, the weaver 
should demand an arbitration of the matter by the 
Manchester Chamber of Commerce, which body 
would no doubt refer the samples to the Manches- 
ter Testing House for its report, and the cost of 
the arbitration and tests should fall upon the loser. 

If this also was refused it would then be in 
order to transfer the business promptly to some 
firm that had different ideas of equity, and it might 
also be well in that event to send an account of the 
whole transaction, in detail, to the Manchester 
Chamber of Commerce, as a matter of record to 
show how the weaver had been treated. 

James Chittick. 



Take-Up in Weaving Kerseys 

What is the percentage of warp take-up in 
weaving heavy weight woolen kerseys? There 
are 4,000 ends in the warp, and 50 picks per inch 
in the filling: goods weigh about twenty-six ounces 
per 6/4 yard, finished; woven with a broken 
four-leaf twill, warp dressed one and one, filling 
solid. Does the take-up vary on different kinds of 
goods? Take-Up (151). 



KINKS FOR BOSS WE:AVE:RS 8i 

The warp take-up on such a fabric as our cor- 
respondent describes will be about 7 per cent. The 
take-up in weaving varies widely with the class 
of goods and weave employed. On light weights 
it will go as low as 4 per cent., and on heavy weight 
beavers, woven with a plain weave back and face, 
and with a coarse yarn in the filling, will reach 13, 
per cent. 

Warps Sticking to Slasher Cylinder 

Lately we have had a good deal of trouble 
with our warps sticking to the slasher cylinder. 
Can you tell us how to prevent this? 

Cylinder (505). 

As we do not know just what style of work Cyl- 
inder is running, we shall have to give some of the 
usual causes for warps sticking to the cylinder and' 
leave him to decide whether any of them fit his- 
case. The two principal causes are found in the 
size and squeeze rolls. If the goods being run re- 
quire a heavy size I should advise adding one pound' 
of paraffine to every hundred gallons of water. 
To do this properly the wax should be shaved and 
mixed with a half a pail of water by boiling, and 
then added to the kettle of size. Be sure that the 
size is thoroughly cooked before using. Properly 
cooked size will feel smooth, like good engine oil^ 
when rubbed between the thumb and finger, and 
just the least bit sticky as it cools. If it is so thick 
that the thumb and finger stick together there is 
either too much starch for the quantity of water 
or it has not been boiled long enough. 



82 KINKS FOR BOSS WEAVERS 

If the size is all right, look next to the finishing 
squeeze roll. This should have at least lo yards 
of blanket, as follows: 3 1/2 yards of coarse blanket 
next to the iron roll, called No. i ; then 3 1/2 yards 
fine blanket, No. 2 ; and then 3 yards of fine blanket 
that has been run three days or longer. No. 3. 
Never put a new blanket on the outside, but when 
No. 3 wears out take off No. 2 and put the new 
one in its place and put No. 2 on the outside. This 
is necessary to make the yarn dry properly and not 
stick to the cylinder. 

These are the most common causes for the trou- 
ble, but there are others that will produce it to a 
greater or less extent. Running the slasher too 
fast carries the size on to the cylinder and gums it 
so the yarn will stick. If there is too much cloth 
on the roll the yarn will break and the loose ends 
stick to the cylinder. After the trouble has been 
located it is necessary first to give the cylinder a 
good washing with soft soap and water. After 
wiping dry go over the cylinder with a piece of 
oily waste and then everything is ready to begin 
right. Thomas Barr. 



Woven and Finished Widths of Woolen 
Goods 

Can you give me a rule for calculating the 
right difference between the cloth width and 
reed width for the common run of woolen fab- 
rics? By cloth width I mean as it leaves the 
loom. Also the finished width as it reaches the 
buyer. Plymouth (800), 



KINKS I^OR BOSS WI:AVERS 83 

" There is no rule by which the proper woven 
width of a fabric can be calculated. Experience 
is the only guide. The difference between the 
woven and finished width depends altogether on 
the class of goods and finish required. The wider 
the goods are set in the loom the more must they 
be fulled to bring them to the required width. 



Long and Short Bobbins 

What advantages or disadvantges, if any, 
would result to the weaver or manufacturer 
from the use of an 8 1/2-inch bobbin instead 
of a 7-inch bobbin on 36s yarn? Would the 
use of the longer bobbin warrant any reduction 
in the price for weaving, and how much? 

The answers which follow are of especial interest 
because they give the opinions of men who have a 
practical knowledge of weaving, and who occupy 
what may be called an intermediate position be- 
tween the employer and the weaver. It is the duty 
of mill superintendents and overseers of weaving 
to see that both the weavers under them and the 
mill owners over them get fair play. The overseer 
or superintendent is the constant arbiter between 
employer and employe, and is often called upon 
to decide questions of far greater difficulty than 
that involved in a lengthening of the filling bobbin. 
In the replies the 7-inch bobbin is for convenience 
called No. 7; the 8 1/2 inch bobbin. No. 8 1/2. 

I. The advantage of bobbin No. 8 1/2 over No. 
7: It lessens the spinning cost as it requires less 



8*4 KINKS :FOR BOSS WKAVKRS 

doffing. It lessens the weaving cost as it requires 
less changing of shuttles when perfectly formed on 
a perfect bobbin, otherwise there are many disad- 
vantages and one of the greatest is the breaking 
of the filling. 

It seems to me that the No. 8 1/2 bobbin has 
exceeded the limit for good results on 36 yarn. 
All other things considered, I do not think there 
would be much advantage to either weaver or man- 
ufacturer in using an 8 1/2-inch bobbin over a 
7-inch bobbin on 36 filling yarn for prints or con- 
verter's goods where the filling is usually soft. 

The change from a No. 7 to a No. 8 1/2 bobbin 
would warrant a reduction in the price list only in 
such proportion as the general conditions have been 
improved. These conditions cannot be determined 
by an outsider, as they must be seen to be fully 
appreciated. With a good warp stop motion, au- 
tomatic filling changer and a bobbin of medium 
length, the weaving cost can be reduced to some- 
thing like 33 to 40 per cent, without reducing the 
weaver's pay. 

3 . A weaver can run the work better with the long 
bobbin but must look after the bobbins and take 
good care of them, and must not batter up the ends 
or cut them with a knife. If they do it will cause 
the bobbin to run bad on the filling frames and also 
cause the yarn or filling to break in the loom, so 
that in a short time they will have looms stopped 
as often as if they were using the short bobbins. 

Long bobbins save doffing on frames and thus 
make a saving in the spinning room. How much 



KINKS FOR BOSS WE:aVI:RS 85 

they reduce the labor of weaving depends on the 
care taken with the long bobbins. Doubtless wea- 
vers can make more money with the long bobbin, 
and do it more easily than with the short one, but 
I cannot state positively what reduction of the price 
list would be warranted by the lengthening of the 
bobbin. 

9. This is a question that has been before mill 
men for years. They have been wondering where 
-the limit was in getting more yards into a compact 
state in order to save handling, which means sav- 
ing labor and cost. There is but one way to find 
this out and this is to make a thorough test, and 
with the present question the test means beginning 
at the spinning frame. Now if the yarn was made 
just as good on the 8 1/2-inch bobbin as on the 
7-inch bobbin the weaver could run twelve looms 
about as easily as she could run eight the old way, 
but in this case it is not as good on the large bobbin 
as on the small one. I find that while the bobbin 
is but one and a half inches longer and has more 
than double the yards on it, it must have been made 
on a larger ring, therefore the yarn is not as good. 
In all my experience I have never seen as good No. 
36 yarn made on a 2-inch ring as on a i 1/2 inch 
ring with the same speed of spindle. Therefore 
more breakages at the loom. 

The shuttle should be as much longer in propor- 
tion as the difference in the length of the bobbin. 
Even at that there will be more breakages caused 
by the yarn ballooning against the shuttle and drag- 
ging around the end of the long bobbin, than with 



86 KINKS FOR BOSS WE^AVKRS 

the short bobbin. Neither are the warp stop mo- 
tions all sunshine, but the advantages overcome 
the disadvantages, so it is certainly an improve- 
ment by making better work And it is easier for 
a weaver to step up to a loom and tie in an end than 
to look around and see one running with one or 
more ends out, especially when it has been running 
quite a while and has to be scratched up so it will 
not show in the cloth, as is often the case without 
the stop motion. 

Furthermore, in using the long bobbin it requires 
closer attention to the management of the ma- 
chines. First, in the spinning room where the 
build of the bobbin must be just right. Second, 
in the weave room, where the shuttles must be kept 
in perfect condition and bobbins must be kept per- 
fectly smooth. It is also necessary to prevent all 
other imperfections as much as possible, as they 
will show up on the long bobbin and cause the loom 
to stop, where they would not on the short bobbin. 
If these requirements are fulfilled a weaver can run 
ten looms as easily as eight of the old style, which 
means a 20 per cent, reduction of help on looms,- 
a very important factor in the cost of weaving. 
ID. I cannot speak from experience on this 
question as I have not used any of the long bob- 
bins, but I see no reason why they should not be a 
success if proper attention is given to the wind and 
taper in the spinning room. The filling breaks 
when weaving from No. 7 as well as from No. 
8 1/2, causing pieces, waste and loss of time. I 
should think the long bobbin would warrant a re- 



KINKS i^OR BOSS WE^AV^RS 87 

duction of from 12 to 15 per cent, in wages, as it 
runs so much longer than a short one. 

II. Both weaver and manufacturer are gain- 
ers by the use of bobbin No. 81/2 instead of bob- 
bin No. 7. No. 81/2 runs twice as long without 
a stop, thus increasing the weaver's earnings, by 
reason of fewer stoppages of the loom, which means 
a larger production. The manufacturer is equally 
a gainer by reason of increased production, which 
means cheaper cost per pound, also by reducing 
his chances of making seconds from filling change 
imperfections, a serious fault in light pick goods. 
The No. 8 i/ 2 bobbin reduces the chance of these 
imperfections 50 per cent, and gives the manufact- 
urer a better cloth. 

I am hardly prepared to give an opinion as to 
wages, but it seems as if the manufacturer should 
get some benefit from the improvement. Bear in 
mind, however, that the long bobbin relieves 
the weaver only from changing the filling 
as often, but it does not relieve him in other parts 
of the work. I think the reduction of wages for 
benefits received by the weaver should be small. 

14. At first sight it seems as if No. 812 gave 
a long gain over No. 7, but the greater tendency of 
the yarn to break at the bottom of the bobbin would 
materially lessen the gain. 

The long bobbin would warrant a certain reduc- 
tion in the price list for weaving, but this could be 
determined only by a trial with bobbins on a few 
looms. 



88 KINKS FOR BOSS W£:AVERS 

2T,. From my own experience the long bobbin 
offers no advantage to either side. More yarn is 
put on a long bobbin it is true, but when it gets 
about three-fourths empty the yarn generally breaks 
and the majority of the weavers will not put the 
piece in the loom again. I fail to see why a long 
bobbin should warrant a reduction in the price for 
weaving, even if all the yarn ran off. I have 780 
looms under my charge all equipped with stop mo- 
tions. A weaver runs from 10 to 12 looms and I 
know for a fact that the/ are working harder and 
getting less pay than the weavers who are running 
only eight looms in other mills on the same class of 
goods. For both quantity and quality I will back 
my looms against any other mill in New England. 

24. The use of the long bobbin is to my mind a 
mistake and I do not think it has come to stay. 
I am sure that four looms fitted with the long bob- 
bin would need considerably more attention than four 
looms fitted with the old 7-inch bobbin. There 
would be more breakage in warp threads due to 
the increased thickness of shuttle as the new bobbin 
is thicker. We must have larger shuttles and larger 
sheds, and so strain the warp threads. The increas- 
ed weight of bobbin and shuttle do not tend to les- 
sen the breakage in the bottom part of the shed. 

There would be more breakage in filling, due to 
the extra length of bobbin, as the yarn will not 
come over the nose of the bobbin as it should when 
the bobbins get about three-quarters finished. 
The last quarter would cause more trouble for the 
weaver and cause more broken picks than would 



KINKS I^OR BOSS W^AVE^RS 89 

be'the case if the weaver had only to change shut- 
tles as she would with a 7-inch bobbin. Then 
again the cumbersome weight and length of the 
new shuttle is against quick shuttling. If a weav- 
er must mind more looms she ought to be able to 
shuttle more rapidly. 

• These few items account for the disadvantage 
to the weaver, but there is a greater disadvantage 
to the manufacturer. The strain on heddles, lin- 
goes, reed and extra power required in picking will 
make extra cost in mill stores, also worse cloth 
will be the result. 

If the Fall River manufacturers had been satis- 
fied, for the present, with adding the stop motion, 
it would have been more satisfactory to all. Ad- 
ding the disadvantages of the long bobbin to the 
advantages of the warp stop motion makes it about 
equal to the old conditions. I do not see how a 
reduction can be made and be fair to all. 

36. There can be no fixed rule on such things. 
If the material is extra thick, naturally longer bob- 
bins are desirable; if it is reasonably fine, however, 
there is no particular advantage in long bobbins, 
and there may be a distinct disadvantage. The 
finer yarn is more expensive, and if anything hap- 
pens to the bobbin, by which much of it is wasted, 
the percentage of waste would be increased. 

Another thing is the interchangeability of the 
work and material. For instance, it might on cer- 
tain work be profitable to use very long shuttle 
bobbins, and yet on the bulk of the work in the 
same mills it might not be desirable to use such long 



90 KINKS i^oR BOSS weav:e:rs 

ones. The fact of having some bobbins, shuttles 
and loom boxes, perhaps, of a different length than 
the others might be more than an offset to the ad- 
vantage to be gained on that portion of the work 
where the longer bobbin would seem to be advan- 
tageous. 

It goes without saying that if a mill were to run 
steadily on a certain fabric (of material of compar- 
tively low cost), Ihat the longer the shuttle can 
run without changing the greater the production 
and the less the waste, but there are very few mills 
whose production is one thing all the time. Mat- 
ters of this kind can be determined only by the 
managers of each mill. 

We do not believe that any reduction in wages 
can be effected by this difference in the shuttle 
bobbins, as it would not be sufficient in any event 
to cut much figure in the production. 

30. The shorter the bobbin the more uniform 
is the tension of the filling during weaving. The 
filling motion is adjusted to suit a certain amount 
of tension on the filling. If the filling is very slack 
to start with it will not raise the fork on the stop 
motion and the lever will not pass under the fork. 
Consequently the loom stops. This difficulty 
may be caused by the long bobbin, when full, giv- 
ing less tension than is required. When half full 
the tension is suited to the filling stop motion. 
When the bobbin nears the end the strain is so 
great it is at the breaking point. "^ 



INDEX 



Page 

Adding Excess Moisture to Wool 54 

Advantages of Long Bobbins 84 

Analysis of Fabric 22 

Beaming Warp 75 

Bobbins, Long and Short 83 

Brake. Benefits of 18 

Calculating Number of Picks 50 

Calculating Percentage of Production 35 

Calculating Weight per Yard and Size of Yarn 23 

Calculating the Weight of Filling 10 

Calculating the Width of Cloth in the Loom. 59 

Carbonized Piece, Goods Selvages on 33 

Care of Heddles 14 

Claim for Poor Yarn 17 

Cleaning and Oiling 43 

Constant for Train of Loom Gears 21 

Conditioning Houses 54 

Cost of Waste 30 

Cover on Cloth 70, 73 

Curled Selvages 45 

Defects in Yarn 11 

Depreciation due to Waste 63 

Detecting Excess of Oil in Yarn ^ .... 56 

Determining Number of Yards on a Beam 65 

Devices for Making Split Selvages 37, 39 

Disadvantages of Long Bobbins.. . 88 

Effect of Long Filling Bobbins 83 

Effect of Moisture in Yarns. 52 

Efficiency of Looms 34 

Ends Sticking Together in Sized Warps 56 

Estimating Size of Yarn 34 

Filling. Calculating Weight of 10 

Filling Waste 40, 63 

Gears, Constant for 21 

Harnesses, Single and Double Knot 51 

Heddles, Wire 13 

Laying Warps in the Reed 75 

Light in Weave Room 17 

Loom Brake 18 



Page 

Looms, Efficiency of 34 

Loomfixers, Management of 9 

Long and Short Bobbins 83 

Loss Due to Filling Waste 63 

Loss Due to Moisture 55 

Management of a Weave Room 7 

Moisture in Yarn 52 

Methods of Limiting Waste 29, 31, 32 

Oiling and Cleaning in Weave Rooms 43 

Percentage of Filling Waste 41 

Picks, Calculating Number Required 50 

Poor Light in Weave Room 17 

Preventing Reed Marks 66 

Preventing Warp Threads Sticking Together 56 

Production, Calculating 35 

Record of Waste 41 

Reed Marks f 6 

Remedy for Warp Sticking to Cylinder 81 

Removing Rust from Reeds 25 

Rust on Reeds 26 

Selvages of Carbonized Piece Goods 33 

Selvages, Remedy for Curled 45 

Setting Loom to Prevent Reed Marks 67 

Smg!e and Double Knot Harness 51 

Size of "S'arn 23, 34 

Sized Warps, Ends Sticking Together 56 

Sizing for Worsted Warp 45 

Split Selvages 36 

Standard Length and Width of Cloth for Testing 1 1 

Steel Wire Heddles 13 

Take-Up in Weaving Kerseys 80 

Testing, Cloth for 11 

Textile Analysis 22 

Twisting-In Warps 42 

Variation in Take-up 81 

Warps Sticking to Slasher Cylinder 81 

Waste in Weave Room 27 

Waste of Filling 40, 63 

Weave Room, Management of 7 

Weave Room Waste 27, 63 

Width of Cloth in Loom 59 

Width of Goods, Woven and Finished 82 

Wire Heddles 13 

V/orsted, Size for 45 

Woven and Finished Widths of Woolen Goods ?2 

Yard.-! on Loom Beam 65 

Yarn, Defects in 11 

Yam, Estimating Size of 34 




ADOPTED BY LEADING MILLS 
CERTAIN IN OPERATION 

INEXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN 
SIMPLE CONSTRUCTION 
NO LINT INTERFERENCE 
NO CLEANING 
ACTS ONLY WHEN A THREAD BREAKS 
OPEN DROP WIRES OR CLOSED 
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HIGH QUALITY-LOW COST 



MOSSBERG WRENCH COMPANY 

CENTRAL FALLS, - - RHODE ISLAND 



COTTON HARNESS 
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For 

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EMMONS LOOM HARNESS 
COMPANY 

LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS 



AMERICAN SUPPLY CO. 

Mill Supplies 
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND 

MANUFACTURERS OF 

LOOM! HARNESS, 

WEAVING REEDS , 

LEATHER BELTING, 

LOOM PICKERS, 

LOOM STRAPPING , 

PATENT JACQUARD HEDDLES 

WIRE HEDDLES, 

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ROLLER SKINS, 

ROLLER CLOTHS, 

ROLL COVERING MACHINERY. 



We make a Specialty of 

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>lil 5 1919 



STEEL HEDDLE MFG. CO. 

2110-18 Allegheny Ave., 
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA 



MANUFACTURERS OF 



Flat Steel Heddles and 
Frames for Weaving all 
grades of Textiles, in- 
cluding Jacquard Work 



specialty: 



Every style of improved Drop 

Hed dles and Wires, n ickle 

and plain finish. 



MASON 
MACHINE WORKS 

TAUNTON, MASS. 



BUILDERS OF 

COTTON MACHINERY 



SOUTHERN AGENT 

EDVVm HOWARD, Charlotte, N. C. 



CARDS 

DRAWING FRAMES 
One copy del. to Cat. Div. 

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Others 



018 533 140 4 



